siwn 


FRIEND 


I :  I 


FRIENDS 
THOUGH    DIVIDED. 


A  TALE  OF  THE  CIVIL  WAR. 


c/      I 


V 


BY  G.  A.  HENTY, 

Author  of  "In  Times  of  Perii,"  "The,  Young  Franc-Tirwn? 
"The  Young  Bugler*:'  etc.,  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


NEW  YORK 

HURST    &   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS. 


PREFACE. 


MY  DEAR  .LADS:  Although  so  long  a  time  has  elapsed 
since  the  great  civil  war  in  England,  men  are  still  almost 
as  much  divided  as  they  were  then  as  to  the  merits  of 
the  quarrel,  almost  as  warm  partisans  of  the  one  side  or 
the  other.  Most  of  you  will  probably  have  formed  an 
opinion  as  to  the  rights  of  the  case,  either  from  your 
own  reading,  or  from  hearing  the  views  of  your  elders. 

For  my  part,  I  have  endeavored  to  hold  the  scales 
equally,  to  relate  historical  facts  with  absolute  accuracy, 
and  to  show  how  much  of  right  and  how  much  of  wrong 
there  was  upon  either  side.  Upon  the  one  hand,  the 
king  by  his  instability,  bad  faith,  and  duplicity  alien- 
ated his  best  friends,  and  drove  the  Commons  to  far  greater 
lengths  than  they  had  at  first  dreamed  of.  Upon  the 
other  hand,  the  struggle,  begun  only  to  win  constitu- 
tional rights,  ended — owing  to  the  ambition,  fanaticism, 
and  determination  to  override  all  rights  and  all  opinions 
save  their  own,  of  a  numerically  insignificant  minority 
of  the  Commons,  backed  by  the  strength  of  the  army — 
in  the  establishment  of  the  most  complete  despotism 
England  has  ever  seen. 

It  may  no  doubt  be  considered  a  failing  on  my  part 
that  one  of  my  heroes  has  a  very  undue  preponderance  of 
adventure  over  the  other.  This  I  regret;  but  after  the 
scale  of  victory  turned,  those  on  the  winning  side  had 
little  to  do  or  to  suffer,  and  one's  interest  is  certainly 
with  the  hunted  fugitive,  or  the  slave  in  the  Bermudas, 
rather  than  with  the  prosperous  and  well-to-do  citizen. 
Yours  very  sincerely, 

G.  A.  HENTY. 

M189747 


ri  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Pablic  Events , ,.  155 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
An  Attempt  to  Rescue  the  King , , . ,  168 

CHAPTER  XV. 
A  Riot  in  the  City , .., 180 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Execution  of  King  Charles . . , 193 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

The  Siege  of  Drogheda 205 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Slaves  in  the  Bermudas , . . . . 219 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  Sea  Fight a 232 

CHAPTER  XX, 
With  the  Scotch  Army 245 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Path  Across  the  Morass 258 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Kidnaped. 271 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
The  Battle  of  Worcester ,283 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Across  the  Sea 295 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
A  Plot  Overheard. ,,.«, . . ...... ,  3v 7 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Rest  at  Last.......... 321 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE   EVE  OF   THE  WAR. 

IT  was  a  pleasant  afternoon  in  the  month  of  July,  1642, 
when  three  young  people  sat  together  on  a  shady  bank 
at  the  edge  of  a  wood  some  three  miles  from  Oxford. 
The  country  was  undulating  and  picturesque,  and  a  little 
more  than  a  mile  in  front  of  them  rose  the  lofty  spire  of 
St.  Helen's,  Abingdon.  The  party  consisted  of  two  lads, 
who  were  about  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  a  girl  of  ten. 
The  lads,  although  of  about  the  same  height  and  build, 
were  singularly  unlike.  Herbert  Rippinghall  was  dark 
and  grave,  his  dress  somber  in  hue,  but  good  in  material 
and  well  made.  Harry  Furness  was  a  fair  and  merry- 
looking  boy;  good  humor  was  the  distinguishing  char- 
acteristic of  his  face;  his  somewhat  bright  and  fashionably 
cut  clothes  were  carelessly  put  on,  and  it  was  clear  that 
no  thought  of  his  own  appearance  or  good  looks  entered 
his  mind.  He  wore  his  hair  in  ringlets,  and  had  on  his 
head  a  broad  hat  of  felt  with  a  white  feather,  while  his 
companion  wore  a  plain  cap,  and  his  hair  was  cut  closely 
to  his  head. 

"It  is  a  bad  business,  Harry,"  the  latter  said,  "but 
there  is  one  satisfaction  that,  come  what  may,  nothing 
can  disturb  our  friendship.  We  have  never  had  a  quar- 
rel since  we  first  met  at  the  old  school  down  there,  six 


THOUGH  DIVIDED 

years  ago.  We  have  been  dear  friends  always,  and  my 
only  regret  has  been  that  your  laziness  has  prevented  our 
being  rivals,  for  neither  would  have  grudged  the  other 
victory/' 

"No,  indeed,  Herbert.  But  there  was  never  a  chance 
of  that.  You  have  always  been  Mr.  Gregory's  prize 
boy,  and  are  now  head  of  the  school;  while  I  have  al- 
ways been  in  his  bad  books.  But,  as  you  say,  Herbert, 
we  have  been  dear  friends,  and,  come  what  will,  we'll 
continue  so.  We  cannot  agree  on  the  state  of  the  king- 
dom, and  shall  never  do  so.  We  have  both  taken  our 
views  from  our  parents;  and  indeed  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  question  is  far  too  difficult  a  one  for  boys  like  us  to 
form  any  opinion  of  it.  When  we  see  some  of  the  best  and 
wisest  in  the  land  ranging  themselves  on  either  side,  it 
is  clear  that  even  such  a  wise  noddle  as  yours — to  say 
nothing  of  a  feather  brain  like  mine — cannot  form  any 
opinion  on  a  subject  which  perplexes  our  elders  and 
betters." 

"That  is  true,  Harry;  but  still " 

"No,  no,  Herbert,  we  will  have  no  argument.  You 
have  the  best  of  it  there,  and  I  fall  back  upon  author- 
il.y.  My  father,  the  colonel,  is  for  the  king;  yours  for 
the  Parliament.  He  says  that  there  are  faults  on  both 
sides,  and  indeed,  for  years  he  favored  the  Commons. 
The  king's  acts  were  unconstitutional  and  tyrannical, 
and  my  father  approved  of  the  bold  stand  which  Sir 
George  Elliot  made  against  him.  Now,  however,  all 
this  has  been  changed,  he  tells  me,  and  the  Commons 
seek  to  rule  without  either  king  or  peers.  They  have 
sought  to  impose  conditions  which  would  render  them 
the  lords  absolute  of  England,  and  reduce  the  king  to  a 
mere  puppet.  They  have,  too,  attacked  the  Church, 
would  abolish  bishops,  and  interfere  in  all  matters  spirit- 
ual. Therefore,  my  father,  while  acknowledging  the 


FRIENDS,  2 HO  VQH  DIVIDED.  3 

faults  which  the  king  has  committed,  and  grieving  over 
the  acts  which  have  driven  the  Parliament  to  taking  up 
a  hostile  attitude  to  him,  yet  holds  it  his  duty  to  sup- 
port him  against  the  violent  men  who  have  now  assumed 
power,  and  who  are  aiming  at  the  subversion  of  the  con- 
stitution and  the  loss  of  the  country." 

"I  fear,  also,"  Herbert  said,  "that  the  Commons  have 
gone  grievously  beyond  their  rights,  although,  did  my 
father  hear  me  say  so,  I  should  fall  under  his  gravest 
displeasure.  But  he  holds  that  it  is  necessary  that 
there  should  be  an  ecclesiastical  sweep,  that  the  prelates 
should  have  no  more  power  in  the  land,  that  popery 
should  be  put  down  with  an  iron  hand,  and  that,  since 
kings  cannot  be  trusted  to  govern  well,  all  power  should 
be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  people.  My  own  thoughts 
do  incline  toward  his;  but,  as  you  say,  when  one  sees 
men  like  my  Lord  Falkland,  who  have  hitherto  stood 
among  the  foremost  in  the  ranks  of  those  who  demand 
that  the  king  shall  govern  according  to  law,  now  siding 
with  him  against  them,  one  cannot  but  feel  how  grave 
are  the  difficulties,  and  how  much  is  to  be  said  on  either 
side.  How  is  one  to  choose?  The  king  is  overbearing, 
haughty,  and  untrue  to  his  word.  The  Parliament  is 
stiff-necked  and  bent  upon  acquiring  power  beyond  what 
is  fair  and  right.  There  are,  indeed,  grievous  faults  on 
both  sides.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  should  the  king 
now  have  his  way  and  conquer  the  Commons,  he  and 
his  descendants  will  henceforth  govern  as  absolute  mon- 
archs,  and  the  liberty  of  the  people  will  be  endangered; 
while  on  the  other  hand,  should  the  Parliament  gain  the 
upper  hand,  they  will  place  on  a  firm  basis  the  liberties 
of  Englishmen,  and  any  excesses  which  they  may  commit 
will  be  controlled  and  modified  by  a  future  parliament,  for 
the  people  of  England  will  no  more  suffer  tyranny  on  the 
part  of  the  Commons  than  of  the  king;  but  while  they 


4  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

cannot  change  the  one,  it  is  in  their  power  to  elect  whom 
they  will,  and  to  send  up  men  who  will  govern  things 
moderately  and  wisely." 

"At  any  rate/'  Harry  said,  "my  father  thinks  that 
there  is  neither  moderation  nor  wisdom  among  the 
zealots  at  Westminster;  and  as  I  hear  that  many  nobles 
and  country  gentlemen  throughout  England  are  of  the 
same  opinion,  methinks  that  though  at  present  the  Par- 
liament have  the  best  of  it,  and  have  seized  Portsmouth, 
and  the  Tower,  and  all  the  depots  of  arms,  yet  that  in 
the  end  the  king  will  prevail  against  them." 

"I  trust,"  Herbert  continued  earnestly,  "that  there 
will  be  no  fighting.  England  has  known  no  civil  wars 
since  the  days  of  the  Roses,  and  when  we  see  how  France 
and  Germany  are  torn  by  internal  dissensions,  we  should 
be  happy  indeed  that  England  has  so  long  escaped  such 
a  scourge.  It  is  indeed  sad  to  think  that  friends  should 
be  arrayed  against  each  other  in  a  quarrel  in  which  both 
sides  are  in  the  wrong." 

"I  hope,"  Harry  said,  "that  if  they  needs  must  fight, 
it  will  soon  be  over,  whichever  way  fortune  may  turn." 

"I  think  not,"  Herbert  answered.  "It  is  a  war  of 
religion  as  much  as  a  war  for  power.  The  king  and  the 
Commons  may  strive  who  shall  govern  the  realm;  but 
the  people  who  will  take  up  arms  will  do  it  more  for  the 
triumph  of  Protestantism  than  for  that  of  Pym  and 
Hampden." 

"How  tiresome  you  both  are,"  Lucy  Rippinghall  in- 
terrupted, pouting.  "You  brought  me  out  to  gather 
flowers,  and  you  do  nothing  but  talk  of  kings  and  Par- 
liament, as  if  I  cared  for  them.  I  call  it  very  rude 
Herbert  is  often  forgetful,  and  thinks  of  his  books  more 
than  of  me;  but  you,  Master  Harry,  are  always  polite 
and  gentle,  and  I  marvel  much  that  you  should  be  so 
changed  to-day." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  ft 

"Forgive  me,"  Harry  said,  smiling.  "We  have  been 
very  remiss,  Miss  Lucy;  but  we  will  have  no  more  of  high 
politics,  and  will,  even  if  never  again,"  he  said  sadly, 
"devote  all  our  energies  to  getting  such  a  basket  ot 
flowers  for  you  as  may  fill  your  rooms  with  beaupots. 
Now,  if  your  majesty  is  ready  to  begin,  we  are  your  most 
obedient  servants." 

And  so,  with  a  laugh,  the  little  party  rose  to  theif 
feet,  and  started  in  quest  of  wild  flowers. 

The  condition  of  affairs  was  at  the  outbreak  of  th* 
civil  war  such  as  might  well  puzzle  older  heads  than 
those  of  Harry  Furness  or  Herbert  Rippinghall,  t<i 
choose  between  the  two  powers  who  were  gathering  arms, 

The  foundations  of  the  difficulty  had  been  laid  in  th« 
reigu  of  King  James.  That  monarch,  who  in  figure, 
manners,  and  mind  was  in  the  strongest  contrast  to  all 
the  English  kings  who  had  preceded  him,  was  infinitely 
more  mischievous  than  a  more  foolish  monarch  could 
have  been.  Coarse  in  manner — a  buffoon  in  demeano* 
— so  weak,  that  in  many  matters  he  suffered  himself  to 
be  a  puppet  in  the  hands  of  the  profligates  who  sur- 
rounded  him,  he  had  yet  a  certain  amount  of  cleverness, 
and  an  obstinacy  which  nothing  could  overcome.  H* 
brought  with  him  from  Scotland  an  overweening  opinion 
of  the  power  and  dignity  of  his  position  as  a  king. 
The  words — absolute  monarchy — had  hitherto  meant 
only  a  monarch  free  from  foreign  interference;  to  Jame* 
they  meant  a  monarchy  free  from  interference  on  tha 
part  of  Lords  or  Commons.  He  believed  implicitly  im 
the  divine  right  of  kings  to  do  just  as  they  chose,  and 
in  all  things,  secular  and  ecclesiastical,  to  impose  their 
will  upon  their  subjects. 

At  that  time,  upon  the  Continent,  the  struggle  of 
Protestantism  and  Catholicism  was  being  fought  out 
everywhere.  In  France  the  Huguenots  were  gradual!* 


6  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

losing  ground,  and  were  soon  to  be  extirpated.  In  Ger- 
many the  Protestant  princes  had  lost  ground.  Austria, 
at  one  time  halting  between  two  opinions,  had  now  es- 
poused vehemently  the  side  of  the  pope,  and  save  in 
Holland  and  Switzerland,  Catholicism  was  triumphing 
all  aloLg  the  line.  While  the  sympathies  of  the  people 
of  England  were  strongly  in  favor  of  their  co-religionists 
upon  the  Continent,  those  of  James  inclined  toward 
Catholicism,  and  in  all  matters  ecclesiastical  he  was  at 
variance  with  his  subjects.  What  caused,  if  possible, 
an  even  deeper  feeling  of  anger  than  his  interference  in 
church  matters,  was  his  claim  to  influence  the  decisions 
of  the  law  courts.  The  pusillanimity  of  the  great  mass 
of  the  judges  hindered  them  from  opposing  his  outra- 
geous claims,  and  the  people  saw  with  indignation  and 
amazement  the  royal  power  becoming  infinitely  greater 
and  more  extended  than  anything  to  which  Henry  VIII. 
or  even  Elizabeth  had  laid  claim.  The  negotiations  of 
the  king  for  a  marriage  between  his  son  and  the  Infanta 
of  Spain  raised  the  fears  of  the  people  to  the  highest 
point.  The  remembrance  of  the  Spanish  armada  was 
still  fresh  in  their  minds,  and  they  looked  upon  an 
alliance  with  Spain  as  the  most  unholy  of  contracts,  and 
as  threatening  alike  the  religion  and  liberties  of  Eng- 
lishmen. 

Thus  when  at  King  James'  death  King  Charles 
ascended  the  throne,  he  inherited  a  legacy  of  trouble. 
Unhappily,  his  disposition  was  even  more  obstinate  tKan 
that  of  his  father.  His  training  had  been  wholly  bad, 
and  he  had  inherited  the  pernicious  ideas  of  his  father 
in  reference  to  the  rights  of  kings.  Even  more  unfor- 
tunately, he  had  inherited  his  father's  counselors.  The 
Duke  of  Buckingham,  a  haughty,  avaricious,  and  ambi- 
tious noble,  raised  by  King  James  from  obscurity,  urged 
him  to  follow  the  path  of  his  father,  and  other  evil  coun- 


FRIENDB.  THOUGH  DIVIDED.          7. 

selors  were  not  wanting.  King  Charles,  indeed,  had  ar. 
advantage  over  his  father,  inasmuch  as  his  person  was 
stately  and  commanding,  his  manner  grave  and  digni- 
fied, and  his  private  life  irreproachable.  The  conflicts? 
which  had  continued  throughout  the  reign  of  his  father 
between  king  and  Parliament  speedily  broke  out  afresh. 
The  Commons  refused  to  grant  supplies,  unless  the 
king  granted  rights  and  privileges  which  he  deemed 
alike  derogatory  and  dangerous.  The  shifty  foreign 
policy  of  England  was  continued,  and  soon  the  breach 
was  as  wide  as  it  had  been  during  the  previous  reign. 

After  several  Parliaments  had  been  called  and  dis- 
solved, some  gaining  advantage  from  the  necessities  of 
the  king,  others  meeting  only  to  separate  after  discus- 
sions which  imbittered  the  already  existing  relations,  for 
ten  years  the  king  dispensed  with  a  Parliament.  The 
murder  of  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  by  Felton  brought 
no  alleviation  to  the  situation.  In  Ireland,  Wentworth, 
Earl  of  Strafford,  ruled  with  tyrannical  power.  He  was 
a  man  of  clear  mind  and  of  great  talent,  and  his  whole 
efforts  were  devoted  to  increasing  the  power  of  the  king, 
and  so,  as  he  considered,  the  benefit  of  the  country.  In 
Ireland  he  had  a  submissive  Parliament,  and  by  the  aid 
of  this  he  raised  moneys,  and  ruled  in  a  rrariner  which, 
tyrannical  as  it  was,  was  yet  for  the  benefit  of  that  coun- 
try. The  king  had  absolute  confidence  in  him,  and  hia 
advice  was  ever  on  the  side  of  resistance  to  popular 
demands.  In  England  the  chief  power  was  given 'to  Arch- 
bishop Laud,  a  high  church  prelate,  bent  upon  restoring 
many  of  the  forms  of  Catholic  worship,  and  bitterly 
opposed  to  the  Puritan  spirit  which  pervaded  the  great 
mass  of  the  English  people. 

So  far  the  errors  had  been  entirely  upon  the  side  of 
the  king.  The  demands  of  the  Commons  had  been 
justified  by  precedent  and  constitutional  rule.  The 


g  JRIEND8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 

doings  of  the  king  were  in  equal  opposition  to  these. 
When  at  last  the  necessities  of  the  situation  compelled 
Charles  to  summon  a  Parliament,  he  was  met  by  them 
in  a  spirit  of  absolute  defiance.  Before  any  vote  of  sup- 
ply would  be  taken,  the  Commons  insisted  upon  the 
impeachment  of  Straflord,  and  Charles  weakly  consented 
to  this.  The  trial  was  illegally  carried  on,  and  the  evi- 
dence, weak  and  doubtful.  But  the  king's  favorite  was 
marked  out  for  destruction,  and  to  the  joy  of  the  whole 
kingdom  was  condemned  and  executed.  /.  similar  fate 
befell  Laud,  and  encouraged  by  these  successes,  the  de- 
mands of  the  Commons  became  higher  and  higher. 

The  ultimatum  which  at  last  the  Puritan  party  in  Par- 
liament delivered  to  the  king,  was  that  no  man  should 
remain  in  the  royal  council  who  was  not  agreeable  to 
Parliament;  that  no  deed  of  the  king  should  have 
validity  unless  it  passed  the  council,  and  was  attested 
under  their  hands;  that  all  the  officers  of  the  state  and 
principal  judges  should  be  chosen  with  consent  of  Par- 
liament, and  enjoy  their  offices  for  life;  that  none  of 
the  royal  family  should  marry  without  consent  of  Par- 
liament or  the  council;  that  the  penal  laws  should  be 
executed  against  Catholics;  that  the  votes  of  popish  lords 
should  not  be  received  in  the  Peers,  and  that  bishops 
should  be  excluded  from  the  House;  that  the  reforma- 
tion of  the  liturgy  and  church  government  should  be 
carried  out  acccording  to  the  advice  of  Parliament;  that 
the  ordinances  which  they  had  made  with  regard  to  the 
militia  should  be  submitted  to;  that  the  justice  of  Par- 
liament should  pass  upon  all  delinquents,  that  is,  upon 
all  officials  of  the  state  and  country  who  had  assisted  in 
carrying  out  the  king's  ordinances  for  the  raising  of 
taxes;  that  a  general  pardon  should  be  granted,  with 
such  exceptions  as  should  be  advised  by  Parliament;  that 
the  fort  and  castles  should  be  disposed  of  by  consent  of 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  9 

Parliament;  and  that  no  peers  should  be  made  but  with 
the  consent  of  both  Houses.  The}7  demanded  also  that 
they  should  have  the  power  of  appointing  and  dismiss- 
ing the  royal  ministers,  of  naming  guardians  for  the 
royal  children,  and  of  virtually  controlling  military, 
civil,  and  religious  affairs. 

As  it  was  clear  that  these  demands  went  altogether 
beyond  the  rights  of  the  Commons,  and  that  if  the  king 
submitted  to  them  the  power  of  the  country  would  be 
solely  in  their  hands,  while  he  himself  would  become  a 
cipher,  he  had  no  course  open  to  him  but  to  refuse  as- 
sent, and  to  appeal  to  the  loyal  nobility  and  gentry  of 
the  country. 

It  is  true  that  many  of  these  rights  have  since  been 
obtained  by  the  Houses  of  Parliament;  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  they  were  altogether  alien  at  the  time 
to  the  position  which  the  kings  of  England  had  hitherto 
held,  and  that  the  body  into  whose  hands  they  would  be 
intrusted  would  be  composed  solely  of  one  party  in  the 
state,  and  that  this  party  would  be  controlled  by  the 
fanatical  leaders  and  the  ministers  of  the  sects  opposed 
to  the  Established  Church,  which  were  at  that  time  bit- 
ter, narrow,  and  violent  to  an  extent  of  which  we  have 
now  no  conception. 

The  atittude  thus  assumed  by  Parliament  drove  from 
their  ranks  a  great  many  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
enlightened  of  those  who  had  formerly  sided  with  them 
in  their  contest  against  the  king.  These  gentlemen  felt 
that  intolerable  as  was  the  despotic  power  of  a  king,  still 
more  intolerable  would  it  be  to  be  governed  by  the 
despotic  power  of  a  group  of  fanatics.  The  liberty  of 
Englishmen  was  now  as  much  threatened  by  the  Com- 
mons as  it  had  been  threatened  by  the  king,  and  to  loyal 
gentlemen  the  latter  alternative  was  preferable.  Thus 
there  were  on  both  sides  earneat  and  conscientious  men 


10  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

who  grieved  deeply  at  being  forced  to  draw  sworcjs  in 
such  a  quarrel,  and  who  felt  that  their  choice  of  sides 
was  difficult  in  the  extreme.  Falkland  was  the  typical 
soldier  on  the  royal  side,  Hampden  on  that  of  tha 
Commons. 

It  is  probable  that  were  England  divided  to-morrow 
under  the  same  conditions,  men  would  be  equally 
troubled  upon  which  side  to  range  themselves.  At  this 
period  of  the  struggle,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  hot- 
headed followers  of  the  king  and  a  few  zealots  on  the 
side  of  the  Commons,  there  was  a  general  hope  that  mat- 
ters would  shortly  be  arranged,  and  that  one  conflict 
would  settle  the  struggle. 

The  first  warlike  demonstration  was  made  before  the 
town  of  York,  before  whose  walls  the  king,  arriving 
with  an  armed  force,  was  refused  admittance  by  Sir 
John  Hotham,  who  held  the  place  for  the  Parliament. 
This  was  the  signal  for  the  outbreak  of  the  war,  and 
each  party  henceforth  strained  every  nerve  to  arm  them- 
selves and  to  place  their  forces  in  the  field. 

The  above  is  but  a  brief  sketch  of  the  circumstances 
which  led  the  Cavaliers  and  Puritans  of  England  to  arm 
themselves  for  civil  war.  Many  details  have  been 
omitted,  the  object  being  not  to  teach  the  history  of  the 
time,  but  to  show  the  general  course  of  events  which 
had  led  to  so  broad  and  strange  a  division  between  the 
people  of  England.  Even  now,  after  an  interval  of  two 
hundred  years,  men  still  discuss  the  subject  with  some- 
thing like  passion,  and  are  as  strong  in  their  sympathies 
toward  one  side  or  the  other  as  in  the  days  when  their 
ancestors  took  up  arms  for  king  or  Commons. 

It  is  with  the  story  of  the  war  which  followed  the  con- 
versation of  Harry  Furness  and  Herbert  Rippinghall 
that  we  have  to  do,  not  with  that  of  the  political  occur- 
rences which  preceded  it.  As  to  these,  at  least,  no 


FRIENDS,  TROUGH  DIVIDED.  \\ 

doubts  or  differences  of  opinion  can  arise.  The  incidents 
of  the  war,  its  victories  and  defeats,  its  changing  for- 
tunes, and  its  final  triumph,  are  matters  beyond  the 
domain  of  politics,  or  of  opinion;  and  indeed  when  once 
the  war  began  politics  ceased  to  have  much  further 
sway.  The  original  questions  were  lost  sight  of,  and 
men  fought  for  king  or  Parliament  just  as  soldiers  now- 
adays fight  for  England  or  France,  without  in  any  way 
concerning  themselves  with  the  original  grounds  of  the 
quarrel. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDBD. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FOR    THE    KING. 

IT  was  late  that  evening  when  Sir  Henry  Furness  re- 
turned from  Oxford;  but  Harry,  anxious  to  hear  the  all- 
absorbing  news  of  the  day,  had  waited  up  for  him. 

"What  news,  father?"  he  said,  as  Sir  Henry  alighted 
at  the  door. 

4 'Stirring  news,  Harry;  but  as  dark  as  may  be.  War 
appears  to  be  now  certain.  The  king  has  made  every 
concession,  but  the  more  he  is  ready  to  grant,  the  more 
those  Puritan  knaves  at  Westminster  would  force  from 
him.  King,  peers,  bishops,  Church,  all  is  to  go  down 
before  this  knot  of  preachers;  and  it  is  well  that  the 
king  has  his  nobles  and  gentry  still  at  his  back.  I  have 
seen  Lord  Falkland,  and  he  has  given  me  a  commission 
in  the  king's  name  to  raise  a  troop  of  horse.  The  royal 
banner  will  be  hoisted  at  Nottingham,  and  there  he  will 
appeal  to  all  his  loyal  subjects  for  aid  against  those  who 
seek  to  govern  the  nation/' 

"And  you  think,  sir,  that  it  will  really  be  war  now?" 
Harry  asked. 

"Ay,  that  will  it,  unless  the  Commons  go  down  on 
their  knees  and  ask  his  majesty's  pardon,  of  which  there 
is,  methinks,  no  likelihood.  As  was  to  be  expected,  the 
burghers  and  rabble  of  the  large  towns  are  everywhere 
with  them,  and  are  sending  up  petitions  to  the  Commons 
to  stand  fast  and  abolish  everything.  However,  the 
country  is  of  another  way  of  thinking,  and  though  the 
bad  advisers  of  the  king  have  in  times  past  taken  nieas- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  13 

ure's  which  have  sorely  tried  our  loyalty,  that  is  all  for- 
gotten now.  His  majesty  has  promised  redress  to  all 
grievances,  and  to  rule  constitutionally  in  future,  and  I 
hear  that  the  nobles  are  calling  out  their  retainers  in  all 
parts.  England  has  always  been  governed  by  her  kings 
since  she  was  a  country,  and  we  are  going  to  try  now 
whether  we  are  to  be  governed  in  future  by  our  kings  or 
by  every  tinker,  tailor,  preacher,  or  thief  sent  up  to 
Westminster.  I  know  which  is  my  choice,  and  to- 
morrow I  shall  set  about  raising  a  troop  of  lads  of  the 
same  mind." 

4 'You  mean  to  take  me,  sir,  I  hope,"  Harry  said. 

"Take  you?"  his  father  repeated,  laughing.  "To  do 
what?" 

"To  fight,  certainly,"  Harry  replied.  "I  am  sure 
that  among  the  tenants  there  is  not  one  who  could  use 
the  small  sword  as  I  can,  for  you  have  taught  me  your- 
self, and  I  do  not  think  that  I  should  be  more  afraid  of 
the  London  pikemen  than  the  best  of  them." 

"No,  no,  Harry,"  his  father  said,  putting  his  hand  on 
the  boy's  shoulder;  "I  do  not  doubt  your  bravery.  You 
come  of  a  fighting  stock  indeed,  and  good  blood  cannot 
lie.  But  you  are  too  young,  my  boy." 

"But  if  the  war  goes  on  for  a  couple  of  years,  father." 

"Ay,  ay,  my  boy;  but  I  hope  that  it  will  be  ended  in 
a  couple  of  months.  If  it  should  last — which  God  for- 
bid!— you  shall  have  your  chance,  never  fear.  Or, 
Harry,  should  you  hear  that  aught  has  happened  to  me, 
mount  your  horse  at  once,  my  boy;  ride  to  the  army,  and 
take  your  place  at  the  head  of  my  tenants.  They  will 
of  course  put  an  older  hand  in  command;  but  so  long  as 
a  Furness  is  alive,  whatever  be  his  age,  he  must  ride  at 
the  head  of  the  Furness  tenants  to  strike  for  the  king. 
I  hear,  by  the  way,  Harry,  that  that  Puritan  knave,  Bip- 
pinghall,  the  wool-stapler,  is  talking  treason  among  his 


14  fRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

hands,  and  says  that  he  will  add  a  brave  contingent  t« 
the  bands  of  the  Commons  when  they  march  hither. 
Hast  heard  aught  about  it?" 

"Nothing,  father,  but  I  hope  it  is  not  true.  I  know, 
however,  that  Master  Rippinghall's  thoughts  and  opin- 
ions lie  in  that  direction,  for  I  have  heard  from  Her- 
bert  " 

"Ah,  the  son  of  the  wool-stapler.  Hark  you,  Harry, 
this  is  a  time  when  we  must  all  take  sides  for  or  against 
the  king.  Hitherto  I  have  permitted  your  acquaintance 
with  the  wool -stapler's  son,  though,  in  truth,  he  be  by 
birth  no  fit  companion  for  you.  But  times  have  changed 
now.  The  sword  is  going  to  be  drawn,  and  friends  of 
the  king  can  no  longer  be  grip  hands  with  friends  of  the 
Commons.  Did  my  own  brother  draw  sword  for  Parlia- 
ment, we  would  never  speak  again.  Dost  hear?" 

"Yes,  sir;  and  will  of  course  obey  your  order,  should 
you  determine  that  I  must  speak  no  more  to  Herbert. 
But,  as  you  say,  I  am  a  boy  yet,  too  young  to  ride  to 
the  wars,  and  Herbert  is  no  older.  It  will  be  time  for 
us  to  quarrel  when  it  is  time  for  us  to  draw  the  sword." 

"That  is  so,  Harry,  and  I  do  not  altogether  forbid 
you  speaking  with  him.  Still  the  less  you  are  seen  to- 
gether, the  better.  I  like  the  lad,  and  have  made  him 
welcome  here  for  your  sake.  He  is  a  thoughtful  lad, 
and  a  clever  one;  but  it  is  your  thoughtful  men  who 
plot  treason,  and  until  the  storm  be  overpast,  it  is  best 
that  you  see  as  little  of  him  as  may  be.  And  now  I  have 
eaten  my  supper,  and  it  is  long  past  the  time  that  you 
should  have  been  in  bed.  Send  down  word  by  Thomas 
Hardway  to  Master  Drake,  my  steward,  to  bid  him  send 
early  in  the  morning  notices  that  all  my  tenants  shall 
assemble  here  to-morrow  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  and 
bid  the  cook  come  to  me.  We  shall  have  a  busy  day  to- 
morrow, for  the  Furness  tenantry  never  gather  at  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  15 

hall  and  go  out  empty.  And  short  though  be  the 
notice,  they  shall  not  do  so  this  time,  which  to  some  of 
us  may,  perchance,  be  the  last." 

The  next  day  there  was  bustle  and  hurry  at  Furness 
Hall.  The  ponds  were  dragged  for  fish;  the  poultry 
yard  was  scoured  for  its  finest  birds;  the  keepers  were 
early  afield,  and  when  they  returned  with  piles  of  hares 
and  rabbits,  these  were  seized  by  the  cook  and  converted 
into  huge  pies  and  pasties.  Two  sheep  were  slaughtered, 
and  the  scullions  were  hard  at  work  making  confections 
of  currants,  gooseberries,  plums,  and  other  fruits  from 
the  garden.  In  the  great  hall  the  tables  were  laid,  and 
when  this  was  done,  and  all  was  in  readiness,  the  serving 
men  were  called  up  to  the  armory,  and  there,  through- 
out the  day,  the  cleaning  of  swords  and  iron  caps,  the 
burnishing  of  breast  and  back  pieces,  the  cleaning  of 
firelocks,  and  other  military  work  went  on  with  all  haste. 

The  Furness  estates  covered  many  a  square  mile  of 
Berkshire,  and  fifty  sturdy  yeomen  dismounted  before 
Furness  Hall  at  the  hour  named  by  Sir  Henry.  A  num- 
ber of  grooms  and  serving  men  were  in  attendance,  and 
took  the  horses  as  they  rode  up,  while  the  major-domo 
conducted  them  to  the  great  picture  gallery.  Here  they 
were  received  by  Sir  Henry  with  a  stately  cordiality,  and 
the  maids  handed  round  a  great  silver  goblet  filled  with 
spiced  wine. 

At  four  exactly  the  major-domo  entered  and  an- 
nounced that  the  quota  was  complete,  and  that  every  one 
of  those  summoned  was  present. 

"Serve  the  tables  then,"  Sir  Henry  said,  as  he  led  the 
way  to  the  great  dining-hall. 

Sir  Henry  took  the  head  of  the  bi»oad  table,  and  bade 
Harry  sit  on  his  right  hand,  while  the  oldest  of  the 
tenants  faced  him  at  the  opposite  end.  Then  a  troop  of 
servants  entered  bearing  smoking  joints,  cold  boars' 


16  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

heads,  fiah,  turkeys,  geese,  and  larded  capons.  Thes* 
were  placed  upon  the  table,  with  an  abundance  of  French 
wine,  and  of  strong  ale  for  those  who  preferred  it,  to 
wash  down  the  viands.  The  first  courses  were  followed 
by  dishes  of  meats  and  confections,  and  when  all  was 
finished  and  cleared  away  Sir  Henry  Furness  rose  to  his 
feet. 

"Fill  your  glasses  all/'  he  said;  "and  bumpers.  The 
toast  which  I  give  you  to-day  is  'The  king,  God  bless 
him.'  Never  should  Englishmen  drink  his  health  more 
earnestly  and  solemnly  than  to-day,  when  rebels  have 
driven  him  from  his  capital,  and  pestilent  traitors  threat- 
ened him  with  armed  force.  Perhaps,  my  friends,  you, 
like  me,  may  from  time  to  time  have  grumbled  when 
the  tax-collectors  have  come  round,  and  you  have  seen 
no  one  warrant  for  their  demands.  But  if  the  king  has 
been  forced  so  to  exceed  his  powers,  it  was  in  no  slight  de- 
gree because  those  at  Westminster  refused  to  grant  him 
the  sums  which  were  needful.  He  has,  too,  been  sur- 
rounded by  bad  advisers.  I  myself  loved  not  greatly 
either  Strafford  or  Laud.  But  I  would  rather  bear  their 
high-handed  ways,  which  were  at  least  aimed  to 
strengthen  the  kingdom  and  for  the  honor  of  the  king, 
than  be  ground  by  these  petty  tyrants  at  Westminster, 
who  would  shut  up  our  churches,  forbid  us  to  smile  on  a 
Sunday,  or  to  pray,  except  through  our  noses;  who 
would  turn  merry  England  into  a  canting  conventicle, 
and  would  rule  us  with  a  rod  to  which  that  of  the  king 
were  as  a  willow  wand.  Therefore  it  is  the  duty  of  all 
true  men  and  good  to  drink  the  health  of  his  majesty  the 
king,  and  confusion  to  his  enemies." 

Upstanding,  and  with  enthusiastic  shouts,  the  whole 
of  the  tenants  drank  the  toast.  Sir  Henry  was  pleased 
with  the  spirit  which  was  manifested,  and  when  the 
cheering  had  subsided  and  quiet  was  again  restored,  he 
went  on: 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  17 

"My  friends,  I  have  summoned  you  here  to  tell  you 
what  many  of  you  no  doubt  know  already — that  the 
king,  driven  from  London  by  the  traitors  of  Parliament, 
who  would  take  from  him  all  power,  would  override  the 
peers,  and  abolish  the  Church,  has  appealed  to  his  faith- 
ful subjects  to  stand  by  him,  and  to  maintain  his  cause. 
He  will,  ere  a  fortnight  be  past,  raise  his  banner  at  Not- 
tingham. Already  Sir  John  Hotham,  the  rebel  Gov- 
ernor of  York,  has  closed  the  gates  of  that  city  to  him, 
and  it  is  time  that  all  loyal  men  were  on  foot  to  aid  his 
cause.  Lord  Falkland  has  been  pleased  to  grant  me  a 
commission  to  raise  a  troop  of  horse  in  his  service,  and  I 
naturally  come  to  you  first,  to  ask  you  to  follow  me." 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  a  shout  of  assent  rang 
through  the  hall. 

"There  are,"  he  said,  "some  among  you  whom  years 
may  prevent  from  yourselves  undertaking  the  hardships 
of  the  field,  but  these  can  send  substitutes  in  their  sons. 
You  will  understand  that  none  are  compelled  to  go;  but 
I  trust  that  from  the  long-standing  friendship  between 
us,  and  from  the  duty  which  you  each  owe  to  the  king, 
none  will  hold  back.  Do  I  understand  that  all  here  are 
willing  to  join,  or  to  furnish  substitutes?" 

A  general  shout  of  "All"  broke  from  the  tenants. 

"Thank  you,  my  friends,  I  expected  nothing  else. 
This  will  give  me  fifty  good  men,  and  true,  and  I  hope 
that  each  will  be  able  to  bring  with  him  one,  two,  or 
more  men,  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  his  holding.  I 
shall  myself  bear  the  expense  of  the  arms  and  outfit  of 
all  these;  but  we  must  not  strip  the  land  of  hands. 
Farming  must  still  go  on,  for  people  must  feed,  even  if 
there  be  war.  As  to  the  rents,  we  must  waive  our  agree- 
ments while  the  war  lasts.  Each  man  will  pay  me  what 
proportion  of  his  rent  he  is  able,  and  no  more.  The 
king  will  need  money  as  well  as  men,  and  as  all  I  receive 


18'  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

will  be  at  his  service,  I  know  that  each  of  you  will  puy 
as  much  as  he  can  to  aid  the  common  cause.  I  have 
here  a  list  of  your  names.  My  son  will  take  it  round  to 
each,  and  will  write  down  how  many  men  each  of  you 
may  think  to  bring  with  him  to  the  war.  No  man  must 
be  taken  unwillingly.  I  want  only  those  whose  hearts 
are  in  the  cause.  My  son  is  grieving  that  he  is  not  old 
enough  to  ride  with  us;  but  should  aught  befall  me  in 
the  strife,  I  have  bade  him  ride  and  take  his  place 
among  you." 

Another  cheer  arose,  and  Harry  went  round  the  table 
taking  down  the  names  and  numbers  of  the  men,  and 
when  his  total  was  added  up,  it  was  found  that  those 
present  believed  that  they  could  bring  a  hundred  men 
with  them  into  the  field. 

"This  is  beyond  my  hopes/*  Sir  Harry  said,  as  amid 
great  cheering  he  announced  the  result.  "I  myself  will 
raise  another  fifty  from  my  grooms,  gardeners,  and 
keepers,  and  from  brave  lads  I  can  gather  in  the  village, 
and  I  shall  be  proud  indeed  when  I  present  to  his  majesty 
two  hundred  men  of  Furness,  ready  to  die  in  his  de- 
fense." 

After  this  there  was  great  arrangement  of  details. 
Each  tenant  gave  a  list  of  the  arms  which  he  possessed 
and  the  number  of  horses  fit  for  work,  and  as  in  those 
days,  by  the  law  of  the  land  each  man,  of  whatsoever 
his  degree,  was  bound  to  keep  arms  in  order  to  join  the 
militia,  should  his  services  be  required  for  the  defense 
of  the  kingdom,  the  stock  of  arms  was,  with  the  con- 
tents of  Sir  Henry's  armory,  found  to  be  sufficient  for 
the  number  of  men  who  were  to  be  raised.  It  was  eight 
o'clock  in  the  evening  before  all  was  arranged,  and  the 
party  broke  up  and  separated  to  their  homes. 

For  the  next  week  there  was  bustle  and  preparation 
on  the  Furness  estates,  as,  indeed,  through  all  England, 


FRIENDS,   THOUGH  DIVIDED.  19 

As  yet,  however,  thi  R'lHiument  were  gathering  men 
far  more  rapidly  than  the  king.  Tho  Royalists  of  Eng- 
land were  slow  to  perceive  how  far  the  Commons  in- 
tended to  press  their  demands,  and  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve that  civil  war  was  really  to  break  out.  The  friends 
of  the  Commons,  however,  were  everywhere  in  earnest. 
The  preachers  in  the  conventicles  throughout  the  land 
denounced  the  king  in  terms  of  the  greatest  violence, 
and  in  almost  every  town  the  citizens  were  arming  and 
drilling.  Lord  Essex,  who  commanded  the  Parliamen- 
tary forces,  was  drawing  toward  Northampton  with  ten 
thousand  men,  consisting  mainly  of  the  train-bands  of 
London;  while  the  king,  with  only  a  few  hundred  follow- 
ers, was  approaching  Nottingham,  where  he  proposed  to 
unfurl  his  standard  and  appeal  to  his  subjects. 

In  a  week  from  the  day  of  the  appeal  of  Sir  Henry 
two  troops,  each  of  a  hundred  men  strong,  drew  up  in 
front  of  Furness  Hall.  To  the  eye  of  a  soldier  accus- 
tomed to  the  armies  of  the  Continent,  with  their  bands 
trained  by  long  and  constant  warfare,  the  aspect  of  this 
troop  might  not  have  appeared  formidable.  Each  man 
was  drebsed  according  to  his  fancy.  Almost  all  wore 
jack-boots  coming  nigh  to  the  hip,  iron  breast  and  back 
pieces,  and  steel  caps.  Sir  Henry  Furness  and  four  gen 
tlemen,  his  friends,  who  had  seen  service  in  the  Low 
Countries,  and  had  now  gladly  joined  his  band,  took 
their  places,  Sir  Henry  himself  at  the  head  of  the  body, 
and  two  officers  with  each  troop.  They,  too,  were  clad 
in  high  boots,  with  steel  breast  and  back  pieces,  thick 
buff  leather  gloves,  and  the  wide  felt  hats  with  feathers 
which  were  worn  in  peace  time.  During  the  war  some 
of  the  Royalist  officers  wore  iron  caps  as  did  their  foes. 
But  the  majority,  in  a  spirit  of  defiance  and  contempt  of 
their  enemies,  wore  the  wide  hat  of  the  times,  which, 
picturesque  and  graceful  as  it  was,  afforded  but  a  poor 


$0  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

defense  for  the  head.  Almost  all  wore  their  hair  long, 
and  in  ringlets,  and  across  their  shoulders  were  the  white 
scarfs  typical  of  their  loyalty  to  the  king.  Harry  be- 
strode a  fine  horse  which  his  father  had  given  him,  and 
had  received  permission  to  ride  for  half  the  day's  march 
by  his  Bide  at  the  head  of  the  troop.  The  trumpeter 
sounded  the  call,  Sir  Henry  stood  up  in  his  stirrups, 
drew  his  sword  and  waved  it  over  his  head,  and  shouted 
"For  God  and  King."  Two  hundred  swords  flashed  in 
the  air,  and  the  answering  shout  came  out  deep  and  full. 
Then  the  swords  were  sheathed,  the  horses'  heads 
turned,  and  with  a  jingle  of  sabers  and  accoutermeuts 
the  troop  rode  gayly  out  through  the  gates  of  the  park. 

Upon  their  way  north  they  were  joined  by  more  than 
one  band  of  Cavaliers  marching  in  the  same  direction, 
and  passed,  too,  several  bodies  of  footmen,  headed  by 
men  with  closely-cropped  heads,  and  somber  figures, 
beside  whom  generally  marched  others  whom  their  attire 
proclaimed  to  be  Puritan  preachers,  on  their  way  to  join 
the  army  of  Essex.  The  parties  scowled  at  each  other 
as  they  passed;  but  as  yet  no  sword  had  been  drawn  on 
either  side,  and  without  adventure  they  arrived  at 
Nottingham. 

Having  distributed  his  men  among  the  houses  of  the 
town,  Sir  Henry  Furness  rode  to  the  castle,  where  his 
majesty  had  arrived  the  day  before. «  He  had  already 
the  honor  of  the  personal  acquaintance  of  the  king,  for 
he  had  in  one  of  the  early  parliaments  sat  for  Oxford. 
Disgusted,  however,  with  the  spirit  that  prevailed  among 
the  opponents  of  the  king,  and  also  by  the  obstinacy  and 
unconstitutional  course  pursued  by  his  majesty,  he  had 
at  the  dissolution  of  Parliament  retired  to  his  estate, 
and  when  the  next  House  was  summoned,  declined  to 
stand  again  for  his  seat. 

"Welcome,  Sir  Henry,"  his  majesty  said  graciously 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  21 

-to  him,  "you  are  among  the  many  who  withstood  me 
-omewhat  in  the  early  days  of  my  reign,  and  perchance 
you  were  right  to  do  so;  but  who  have  now,  in  my  need, 
rallied  round  me,  seeing  whither  the  purpose  of  these 
traitorous  subjects  of  mine  leads  them.  You  are  the 
more  welcome  that  you  have,  as  I  hear,  brought  two 
hundred  horsemen  with  you,  a  number  larger  than  any 
which  has  yet  joined  me.  These,"  he  said,  pointing  to 
two  young  noblemen  near  him,  "are  my  nephews,  Rupert 
and  Maurice,  who  have  come  to  join  me." 

Upon  making  inquiries,  Sir  Henry  found  that  the 
prospects  of  the  king  were  far  from  bright.  So  far,  the 
Eoyalists  had  been  sadly  behindhand  with  their  prepara- 
tions. The  king  had  arrived  with  scarce  four  hundred 
men.  He  had  left  his  artillery  behind  at  York  for  want 
of  carriage,  and  his  need  in  arms  was  even  greater  than 
in  men,  as  the  arsenals  of  the  kingdom  had  all  been 
seized  by  the  Parliament.  Essex  lay  at  Northampton 
with  ten  thousand  men,  and  had  he  at  this  time  ad- 
vanced, even  the  most  sanguine  of  the  Royalists  saw 
that  the  struggle  would  be  a  hopeless  one. 

The  next  day,  at  the  hour  appointed,  the  royal 
standard  was  raised  on  the  Castle  of  Nottingham,  in  the 
midst  of  a  great  storm  of  wind  and  rain,  which  before 
many  hours  had  passed  blew  the  royal  standard  to  the 
ground — an  omen  which  those  superstitiously  inclined 
deemed  of  evil  augury  indeed.  The  young  noblemen 
and  gentlemen,  however,  who  had  gathered  at  Northamp- 
ton, were  not  of  a  kind  to  be  daunted  by  omens  and 
auguries,  and  finding  that  Essex  did  not  advance  and 
hearing  news  from  all  parts  of  the  country  that  the  loyal 
gentlemen  were  gathering  their  tenants  fast,  their  hopes 
rose  rapidly.  There  was,  indeed,  some  discontent  when 
it  was  known  that,  by  the  advice  of  his  immediate 
councilors,  King  Charles  had  dispatched  the  Earl  of 


22  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Southampton  with  Sir  John  Collpeper  and  Sir  William 
Uveclale  to  London,  with  orders  to  treat  with  the  Com- 
mons. The  Parliament,  however,  refused  to  enter  into 
any  negotiations  whatever  until  the  king  lowered  his 
standard  and  recalled  the  proclamation  which  he  had 
issued.  This,  which  would  have  been  a  token  of  abso* 
lute  surrender  to  the  Parliament,  the  king  refused  to  do. 
He  attempted  a  further  negotiation;  but  this  also  failed. 

The  troops  at  Nottingham  now  amounted  to  eleven 
hundred  men,  of  which  three  hundred  were  infantry 
raised  by  Sir  John  Digby,  the  sheriff  of  the  county.  The 
other  eight  hundred  were  horse.  Upon  the  breaking  off 
of  negotiations,  and  the  advance  of  Essex,  the  king,  sen- 
sible that  he  was  unable  to  resist  the  advance  of  Essex, 
who  had  now  fifteen  thousand  men  collected  under  him, 
fell  back  to  Derby,  and  thence  to  Shrewsbury,  being 
joined  on  his  way  by  many  nobles  and  gentlemen  with 
their  armed  followers.  At  Wellington,  a  town  a  day's 
march  from  Shrewsbury,  the  king  had  his  little  army 
formed  up,  and  made  a  solemn  declaration  before  them 
in  which  he  promised  to  maintain  the  Protestant  reli- 
gion, to  observe  the  laws,  and  to  uphold  the  just  privi- 
leges and  freedom  of  Parliament. 

The  Furness  band  were  not  present  on  that  occasion, 
as  they  had  been  dispatched  to  Worcester  with  some 
other  soldiers,  the  whole  under  the  command  of  Prince 
Eupert,  in  order  to  watch  the  movements  of  Essex,  who 
was  advancing  in  that  direction.  While  scouring  the 
ground  around  the  city,  they  came  upon  a  body  of  Par- 
liamentary cavalry,  the  advance  of  the  army  of  Essex. 
The  bands  drew  up  at  a  little  distance  from  each  other, 
and  then  Prince  Rupert  gave  the  command  to  charge, 
With  the  cheer  of  "For  God  and  the  king!*'  the  troop 
rushed  upon  the  cavalry  of  the  Parliament  with  such 
force  and  fury  that  they  broke  them  utterly,  and  kill- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  23 

ing  many,  drove  them  in  confusion  from  the  field,  with 
but  small  loss  to  themselves. 

This  was  the  first  action  of  the  civil  war,  the  first 
blood  drawn  by  Englishmen  from  Englishmen  since  the 
troubles  in  the  commencement  of  the  reign  of  Mary. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 


CHAPTER    III. 

A   BRAWL   AT   OXFORD. 

NEWS  in  those  days  traveled  but  slowly,  and  England 
was  full  of  conflicting  rumors  as  to  the  doings  of  the 
two  armies.  Every  one  was  unsettled.  Bodies  of  men 
moving  to  join  one  or  other  of  the  parties  kept  the 
country  in  an  uproar,  and  the  Cavaliers,  or  rather  the 
roughs  of  the  towns  calling  themselves  Cavaliers,  brought 
much  odium  upon  the  royal  cause  by  the  ill-treatment 
of  harmless  citizens,  and  by  raids  on  inoffensive  country 
people.  Later  on  this  conduct  was  to  be  reversed  and 
the  Royalists  were  to  suffer  tenfold  the  outrages  now 
put  upon  the  Puritans.  But  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  conduct  of  irresponsible  ruffians  at  that  time  did 
much  to  turn  the  flood  of  public  opinion  in  many  places, 
where  it  would  otherwise  have  remained  neutral,  against 
-the  crown. 

To  Harry  the  time  passed  but  slowly.  He  spent  his 
days  in  Abingdon  hearing  the  latest  news,  and  oceca- 
sionally  rode  over  to  Oxford.  This  city  was  throughout 
the  civil  war  the  heart  of  the  Royalist  party,  and  its  loss 
was  one  of  the  heaviest  blows  which  befell  the  crown. 
Here  Harry  found  none  but  favorable  reports  current. 
Enthusiasm  was  at  its  height.  The  university  was  even 
more  loyal  than  the  town,  and  bands  of  lads  smashed  the 
windows  of  those  persons  who  were  supposed  to  favor 
the  Parliament.  More  than  once  Harry  saw  men  pur- 
sued through  the  streets,  pelted  with  stones  and  mud, 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  25 

and  in  some  cases  escaping  barely  with  their  lives. 
Upon  one  occasion,  seeing  a  person  in  black  garments 
and  of  respectable  appearance  so  treated,  the  boy's  in- 
dignation was  aroused,  for  he  himself,  both  from  his 
conversations  with  his  friend  Herbert,  and  the  talk  with 
his  father,  was,  although  enthusiastically  Eoyalist,  yet 
inclined  to  view  with  respect  those  who  held  opposite 
opinions. 

"Run  down  that  alley!"  he  exclaimed,  pushing  his 
horse  between  the  fugitive  and  his  pursuers. 

The  man  darted  down  the  lane,  and  Harry  placed  him- 
self at  the  entrance,  and  shouted  to  the  rabble  to  abstain. 

A  yell  of  rage  and  indignation  replied,  and  a  volley 
of  stones  was  thrown.  Harry  fearlessly  drew  his 
sword,  and  cut  at  some  of  those  who  were  in  the  fore- 
ground. These  retaliated  with  sticks,  and  Harry  was 
forced  backward  into  the  lane.  This  was  too  narrow 
to  enable  him  to  turn  his  horse,  and  his  position 
was  a  critical  one.  Finding  that  he  was  a  mark  for 
stones,  he  leaped  from  the  saddle,  thereby  disappearing 
from  the  sight  of  those  in  the  ranks  behind,  and  sword 
in  hand,  barred  the  way  to  the  foremost  of  his  assail- 
ants. The  contest,  however,  would  have  been  brief  had 
not  a  party  of  young  students  come  up  the  lane,  and 
seeing  from  Harry's  attire  that  he  was  a  gentleman,  and 
likely  to  be  of  Cavalier  opinions,  they  at  once,  without 
inquiring  the  cause  of  the  fray,  threw  themselves  into 
it,  shouting  "Gown!  gown!"  They  speedily  drove  the 
assailants  back  out  of  the  lane;  but  these,  reinforced  by 
the  great  body  beyond,  were  then  too  strong  for  them. 
The  shouts  of  the  young  men,  however,  brought  up 
others  to  their  assistance,  and  a  general  melee  took 
place,  townsmen  and  gownsmen  throwing  themselves 
into  the  fray  without  any  inquiry  as  to  the  circumstances 
from  which  it  arose.  The  young  students  carried  swords. 


26  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

which,  although  contrary  to  the  statutes  of  the  univer- 
sity, were  for  the  time  generally  adopted.  The  towns- 
people were  armed  with  bludgeons,  and  in  some  cases 
with  hangers,  and  the  fray  was  becoming  a  serious  one, 
when  it  was  abruptly  terminated  by  the  arrival  of  a  troop 
of  horse,  which  happened  to  be  coming  into  the  town  to 
join  the  royal  forces.  The  officer  in  command,  seeing 
so  desperate  a  tumult  raging,  ordered  his  men  to  charge 
into  the  crowd,  and  their  interference  speedily  put  an 
end  to  the  fight. 

Harry  returned  to  their  rooms  with  some  of  his  pro- 
tectors and  their  wounds  were  bound  up,  and  the  circum- 
stances of  the  fight  were  talked  over.  Harry  was  much 
blamed  by  the  college  men  when  he  said  that  he  had  been 
drawn  into  the  fray  by  protecting  a  Puritan.  But  when 
his  new  friends  learned  that  he  was  as  thoroughly  Royal- 
ist as  themselves,  and  that  his  father  had  gone  with  a 
troop  to  Nottingham,  they  took  a  more  favorable  view 
of  his  action,  but  still  assured  him  that  it  was  the  height 
of  folly  to  interfere  to  protect  a  rebel  from  the  anger  of 
the  townspeople. 

"But,  methinks,"  Harry  said,  "that  it  were  unwise 
in  the  extreme  to  push  matters  so  far  here.  In  Oxford 
the  Royalists  have  it  all  their  own  way,  and  can,  of 
course,  at  will  assault  their  Puritan  neighbors.  But  it 
is  different  in  most  other  towns.  There  the  Roundheads 
have  the  upper  hand  and  'might  retort  by  doing  ill  to 
the  Cavaliers  there.  Surely  it  were  better  to  keep  these 
unhappy  ditferences  out  of  private  life,  and  to  trust  the 
arbitration  of  our  cause  to  the  arms  of  our  soldiers  in 
the  field. " 

There  was  a  general  agreement  that  this  would  indeed 
be  the  wisest  course;  but  the  young  fellows  were  of 
opinion  that  hot  heads  on  either  side  would  have  their 
way,  and  that  if  the  war  went  on  attacks  of  this  kind 
by  the  one  party  on  the  other  must  be  looked  for. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  27 

Harry  remained  for  some  time  with  his  friends  in 
Christ  church,  drinking  the  beer  for  which  the  college 
was  famous.  Then,  mounting  his  horse,  he  rode  back 
to  Abingdon. 

Two  days  later,  as  he  was  proceeding  toward  the  town, 
he  met  a  man  dressed  as  a  preacher. 

"Young  sir/'  the  latter  said,  "may  I  ask  if  you  are 
Master  Furness?" 

"I  am,"  the  lad  replied. 

"Then  it  is  to  you  I  am  indebted  for  my  rescue  from 
those  who  assaulted  me  in  the  streets  of  Oxford  last 
week.  In  the  confusion  I  could  not  see  your  face,  but 
I  inquired  afterward,  and  was  told  that  my  preserver 
was  Master  Furness,  and  have  come  over  to  thank  you 
for  your  courtesy  and  bravery  in  thus  intervening  on  be- 
half of  one  whom  I  think  you  regard  as  an  enemy,  for  I 
understand  that  Sir  Henry,  your  father,  has  declared  for 
the  crown." 

"I  acted,"  Harry  said,  "simply  on  the  impulse,  of 
humanity,  and  hold  it  mean  and  cowardly  for  a  number 
of  men  to  fall  upon  one." 

"We  are,"  the  preacher  continued,  "at  the  beginning: 
only  of  our  troubles,  and  the  time  may  come  when  1, 
Zachariah  Stubbs,  may  be  able  to  return  to  you  the  good 
service  which  you  have  done  me.  Believe  me,  young 
sir,  the  feeling  throughout  England  is  strong  for  the 
Commons,  and  that  it  will  not  be  crushed  out,  as  some 
men  suppose,  even  should  the  king's  men  gain  a  great 
victory  over  Essex — which,  methinks,  is  not  likely. 
There  are  tens  of  thousands  throughout  the  country  who 
are  now  content  to  remain  quiet  at  home,  who  would 
assuredly  draw  the  sword  and  go  forth  to  battle,  should 
they  consider  their  cause  in  danger.  The  good  work 
has  begun,  and  the  sword  will  not  be  sheathed  until  the 
oppressor  is  laid  low." 


28  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"We  should  differ  who  the  oppressor  is/'  Harry 
replied  coldly.  "I  myself  am  young  to  discuss  these 
matters,  but  my  father  and  those  who  think  with  him 
consider  that  the  oppression  is  at  present  on  the  side  of 
the  Commons,  and  of  those  whose  religious  views  you 
share.  While  pretending  to  wish  to  be  free,  you  endeavor 
to  bind  others  beneath  your  tyranny.  While  wishing  to 
worship  in  your  way  unmolested,  you  molest  those  who 
wish  to  worship  in  theirs.  However,  I  thank  you  for 
your  offer,  that  should  the  time  come  your  good  services 
will  be  at  my  disposal.  As  you  say,  the  issue  of  the  con- 
flict is  dark,  and  it  may  be,  though  I  trust  it  will  not, 
that  some  day  you  may,  if  you  will,  return  the  light 
service  which  I  rendered  you." 

"You  will  not  forget  my  name?''*  the  preacher  said — • 
"Zachariah  Stubbs,  a  humble  instrument  of  the  Lord,  and 
a  preacher  in  the  Independent  chapel  at  Oxford. 
Thither  I  cannot  return,  and  am  on  my  way  to  London, 
where  I  have  many  friends,  and  where  I  doubt  not  a  charge 
will  be  found  for  me.  I  myself  belong  to  the  east  coun- 
tries, where  the  people  are  strong  for  the  Lord,  and  I 
doubt  not  that  some  of  those  I  know  will  come  to  the 
front  of  affairs,  in  which  case  my  influence  may  perhaps 
be  of  more  service  than  you  can  suppose  at  present. 
Farewell,  young  sir,  and  whatever  be  the  issues  of  this 
struggle,  I  trust  that  you  may  safely  emerge  from  them." 

The  man  lifted  his  broad  black  hat,  and  went  on  his 
way,  and  Harry  rode  forward,  smiling  a  little  to  himself 
at  th&  promise  given  him. 

The  time  passed  slowly,  and  all  kinds  of  rumors  filled 
the  land.  At  length  beacon  fires  were  seen  to  blaze 
upon  the  hills,  and,  as  it  was  known  that  the  Puritans 
had  arranged  with  Essex  that  the  news  of  a  victory  was 
so  to  be  conveyed  to  London,  the  hearts  of  the  Royalists 
sank,  for  they  feared  that  disaster  had  befallen  their 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  29 

cause.  The  next  day,  however,  horsemen  of  the  Paiiia- 
ment  galloping  through  the  country  proclaimed  that 
they  had  been  defeated;  but  it  was  not  till  next  day 
that  the  true  state  of  affairs  became  known.  Then  the 
news  came  that  the  battle  had  indeed  been  a  drawn  one. 

On  the  26th  of  October  Charles  marched  with  his  army 
into  Oxford.  So  complete  was  the  ignorance  of  the  in- 
habitants as  to  the  movements  of  the  armies  that  at 
Abingdon  the  news  of  his  coming  was  unknown,  and 
Harry  was  astonished  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  at  hear- 
ing a  great  trampling  of  horsemen.  Looking  out,  he 
beheld  his  father  at  the  head  of  the  troop,  approaching 
the  house.  With  a  shout  of  joy  the  lad  rushed  down- 
stairs and  met  his  father  at  the  entrance. 

"I  did  not  look  to  be  back  so  soon,  Harry,"  Sir  Henry 
said,  as  he  alighted  from  his  horse.  "We  arrived  at 
Oxford  last  night,  and  I  am  sent  on  with  my  troop  to 
see  that  no  Parliament  bands  are  lurking  in  the  neigh- 
borhood." 

Before  entering  the  house  the  colonel  dismissed  his 
troop,  telling  them  that  until  the  afternoon  they  could 
return  to  their  homes,  but  must  then  re-assemble  and 
hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  advance,  should  he  re- 
ceive further  orders.  Then,  accompanied  by  his  officers, 
he  entered  the  house.  Breakfast  was  speedily  prepared, 
and  when  this  was  done  justice  to  Sir  Henry  proceeded 
to  relate  to  Harry,  who  was  burning  with  impatience  to 
hear  his  news,  the  story  of  the  battle  of  Edgehill. 

"We  reached  Shrewsbury,  as  I  wrote  you,"  he  said, 
"and  stayed  there  twenty  days,  and  during  that  time 
the  army  swelled  and  many  nobles  and  gentlemen  joined 
us.  We  were,  however,  it  must  be  owned,  but  a  motley 
throng.  The  foot  soldiers,  indeed,  were  mostly  armed 
with  muskets;  but  many  had  only  sticks  and  cudgels. 
On  the  12th  we  moved  to  Wolverhampton,  and  so  on 


'30  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

through  Birmingham  and  Kenilworth.  We  saw  nothing 
of  the  rebels  till  we  met  at  Edgecot,  a  little  hamlet 
near  Banbury,  where  we  took  post  on  a  hill,  the  rebels 
being  opposite  to  us.  It  must  be  owned,"  Sir  Henry 
went  on,  "that  things  here  did  not  promise  well.  There 
were  dissensions  between  Prince  Eupert,  who  com- 
manded the  cavalry,  and  Lord  Lindsey,  the  general  in 
chief,  who  is  able  and  of  great  courage,  but  hot-headed 
and  fiery.  In  the  morning  it  was  determined  to  engage, 
as  Essex's  forces  had  not  all  come  up,  and  the  king's  troops 
were  at  least  as  numerous  as  those  of  the  enemy.  We 
saw  little  of  the  fighting,  for  at  the  commencement  of 
the  battle  we  got  word  to  charge  upon  the  enemy's  left. 
We  made  but  short  work  of  them,  and  drove  them  head- 
long from  the  field,  chasing  them  in  great  disorder  for 
three  miles,  and  taking  much  plunder  in  Kineton  among 
the  Parliament  baggage-wagons.  Thinking  that  the 
fight  was  over,  we  then  prepared  to  ride  back.  When 
we  came  to  the  field  we  found  that  all  was  changed. 
The  main  body  of  the  Roundheads  had  pressed  hotly 
upon  ours  and  had  driven  them  back.  Lord  Lindsey 
himself,  who  had  gone  into  the  battle  at  the  head  of  the 
pikemen  carrying  a  pike  himself  like  a  common  soldier, 
had  been  mortally  wounded  and  taken  prisoner,  and 
grievous  slaughter  had  been  inflicted.  The  king's 
standard  itself  had  been  taken,  but  this  had  been  happily 
recovered,  for  two  Royalist  officers,  putting  on  orange 
scarfs,  rode  into  the  middle  of  the  Roundheads,  and 
pretending  that  they  were  sent  by  Essex,  demanded  the 
flag  from  his  secretary,  to  whom  it  had  been  intrusted. 
The  scrivener  gave  it  up,  and  the  officers,  seizing  it, 
rode  through  the  enemy  and  recovered  their  ranks. 
There  was  much  confusion  and  no  little  angry  discus- 
sion in  the  camp  that  night,  the  footmen  accusing  the 
horsemen  of  having  deserted  them,  and  the  horsemen 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  31 

grumbling  at  the  foot,  because  they  had  not  done  their 
work  as  well  as  themselves.  In  the  morning  the  two 
armies  still  faced  each  other,  neither  being  willing  to 
budge  a  foot,  although  neither  cared  to  renew  the  bat- 
tle. The  rest  of  the  Parliamentary  forces  had  arrived,, 
and  they  might  have  struck  us  a  heavy  blow  had  they 
been  minded,  for  there  was  much  discouragement  in  our 
ranks.  Lord  Essex,  however,  after  waiting  a  day  and 
burying  his  dead,  drew  off  from  the  field,  and  we,  re- 
maining there,  were  able  to  claim  the  victory,  which, 
however,  my  son,  was  one  of  a  kind  which  was  scarce 
worth  winning.  It  was  a  sad  sight  to  see  so  many  men 
stretched  stark  and  dead,  and  these  killed,  not  in  fight- 
ing with  a  foreign  foe,  but  with  other  Englishmen.  It 
made  us  all  mightily  sad,  and  if  at  that  moment  Lord 
Essex  had  had  full  power  from  the  Parliament  to  treat, 
methinks  that  the  quarrel  could  have  been  settled,  all 
being  mightily  sick  of  such  kind  of  fighting." 

"What  is  going  to  be  done  now,  father?"  Harry  asked. 

"We  are  going  to  move  forward  toward  London.  Essex 
is  moving  parallel  with  us,  and  will  try  to  get  there 
first.  From  what  we  hear  from  our  friends  in  the  city, 
there  are  great  numbers  of  moderate  men  will  be  glad  ta 
see  the  king  back,  and  to  agree  to  make  an  end  of  this 
direful  business.  The  zealots  and  preachers  will  of 
course  oppose  them.  But  when  we  arrive,  we  trust  that 
our  countenance  will  enable  our  friends  to  make  a  good 
front,  and  to  overcome  the  opposition  of  the  Puritans. 
We  expact  that  in  a  few  days  we  shall  meet  with  offers 
to  treat.  But  whether  or  no,  I  hope  that  the  king  will 
soon  be  lodged  again  in  his  palace  at  Whitehall." 

"And  do  you  think  that  there  will  be  any  fighting,, 
sir?" 

"I  think  not.     I  sincerely  hope  not,"  the  colonel  said 

"Then  if  you  think  that  there  will  only  be  a  peaceablu, 


22  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

entry,  will  you  not  let  me  ride  with  you?  It  will  be  21 
brave  sight  to  see  the  king  enter  London  again;  one  to 
tell  of  all  one's  life." 

The  colonel  made  no  reply  for  a  minute  or  two. 

"Well,  Harry,  I  will  not  say  you  nay/'  he  said  at 
length.  "Scenes  of  broils  and  civil  war  are  not  for  lads 
of  your  age.  But,  as  you  say,  it  would  be  a  thing  to 
talk  of  to  old  age  how  you  rode  after  the  king  when  he 
entered  London  in  state.  But  mind,  if  there  be  fight- 
ing, you  must  rein  back  and  keep  out  of  it." 

Harry  was  overjoyed  with  the  permission,  for  in  truth 
time  had  hung  heavily  on  his  hands  since  the  colonel 
had  ridden  away.  His  companionship  with  Herbert  had 
ceased,  for  although  the  lads  pressed  hands  warmly  when 
they  met  in  Abingdon,  both  felt  that  while  any  day 
might  bring  news  of  the  triumph  of  one  party  or  the 
other,  it  was  impossible  that  they  could  hold  any  warm 
intercourse  with  each  other.  The  school  was  closed,  for 
the  boys  of  course  took  sides,  and  so  much  ill-will  was 
caused  that  it  was  felt  best  to  put  a  stop  to  it  by  closing 
the  doors.  Harry  therefore  had  been  left  entirely  upon 
his  own  resources,  and  although  he  had  ridden  about 
among  the  tenants  and,  so  far  as  he  could,  supplied  his 
father's  place,  the  time  often  hung  heavy  on  his  hands, 
especially  during  the  long  hours  of  the  evening.  After 
thanking  his  father  for  his  kindness,  he  rushed  wildly 
off  to  order  his  horse  to  be  prepared  for  him  to  accom- 
pany the  troop,  to  re-burnish  the  arms  which  he  had 
already  chosen  as  fitting  him  from  the  armory,  and  to 
make  what  few  preparations  were  necessary  for  the 
journey. 

It  was  some  days,  however,  before  any  move  was  made. 
The  king  was  occupied  in  raising  money,  being  sorely 
crippled  by  want  of  funds,  as  well  as  of  arms  and  muni- 
tions of  war.  At  the  beginning  of  November  the  ad- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  33 

was  made,  Sir  Henry  with  his  troop  joining  Prince 
Rupert,  and  advancing  through  Reading  without  oppo- 
sition as  far  as  Maidenhead,  where  he  fixed  his  quarters. 
Two  days  later  he  learned  that  Essex  had  arrived  with 
his  army  in  London.  On  the  llth  King  Charles  was  at 
Coin  brook.  Here  he  received  a  deputation  from  the 
Houses  of  Parliament,  who  proposed  that  the  king 
should  pause  in  his  advance  until  committees  of  both 
Houses  should  attend  him  with  propositions  "for  the 
removal  of  these  bloody  distempers  and  distractions." 
The  king  received  the  deputation  favorably,  and  said 
that  he  would  stop  at  Windsor,  and  there  receive  the 
propositions  which  might  be  sent  him. 

Unfortunately,  however,  the  hopes  which  were  now 
entertained  that  peace  would  be  restored,  were  dashed 
to  the  ground  by  an  action  which  was  ascribed  by  the 
Royalists  to  the  hotheadedness  of  Prince  Rupert,  but 
which  the  king's  enemies  affirmed  was  due  to  the  duplic- 
ity of  his  majesty  himself.  On  this  point  there  is  no 
evidence.  But  it  is  certain  that  the  advance  made  after 
this  deputation  had  been  received  rendered  all  further 
negotiation  impossible,  as  it  inspired  the  Commons  with 
the  greatest  distrust,  and  enabled  the  violent  portion  al- 
ways to  feign  a  doubt  of  the  king's  word,  and  great  fears 
as  to  the  keeping  of  any  terms  which  might  be  made, 
and  so  to  act  upon  the  timid  and  wavering.  The  very 
day  after  the  deputation  had  left,  bearing  the  news  to 
London  of  the  king's  readiness  to  treat,  and  inspiring  all 
there  with  hope  of  peace,  Prince  Rupert,  taking  advan- 
tage of  a  very  thick  mist,  marched  his  cavalry  to  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  town  of  Brentford  before  his  advance 
was  discovered,  designing  to  surprise  the  train  of  artil- 
lery at  Hammersmith  and  to  push  on  and  seize  the  Com- 
mons and  the  city. 

The  design  might  Lave  been  successful,  for  the  ex- 


34  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

ploits  of  Rupert's  horse  at  the  battle  of  Edgehill  had 
struck  terror  into  the  minds  of  the  enemy.  In  the  town 
of  Brentford,  however,  were  lodged  a  regiment  of  foot, 
under  Hollis,  and  these  prepared  manfully  to  resist. 
Very  valiantly  the  prince,  followed  by  his  horse,  charged 
into  the  streets  of  Brentford,  where  the  houses  were  bar- 
ricaded by  the  foot  soldiers,  who  shot  boldly  against 
them.  Many  were  killed,  and  for  three  hours  the  con- 
test was  resolutely  maintained.  The  streets  had  been 
barricaded,  and  Prince  Rupert's  men  fought  at  great 
disadvantage.  At  length,  as  evening  approached,  and 
the  main  body  of  the  Cavaliers  came  up,  the  Parliament 
men  gave  way,  and  were  driven  from  the  town.  Many 
were  taken  prisoners,  and  others  driven  into  the  river, 
the  greater  portion,  however,  making  their  way  in  boats 
safely  down  the  stream.  The  delay  which  their  sturdy 
resistance  had  made  saved  the  city.  Hampden  was 
bringing  his  men  across  from  Acton.  Essex  had  marched 
from  Chelsea  Fields  to  Turnham  Green,  and  the  road 
was  now  blocked.  After  it  was  dark  the  Train-Bands 
advanced,  and  the  Parliament  regiments,  reinforced  by 
them,  pushed  on  to  Brentford  again;  the  Royalists, 
finding  that  the  place  could  not  be  held,  fell  back  to  the 
king's  quarters  at  Hounslow. 

The  chroniclers  describe  how  wild  a  scene  of  confusion 
reigned  in  London  that  evening.  Proclamations  were 
issued  ordering  all  men  to  take  up  arms;  shops  were 
closed,  the  apprentice  boys  mustered  in  the  ranks,  and 
citizens  poured  out  like  one  man  to  defend  the  town. 
They  encamped  upon  the  road,  and  the  next  day  great 
trains  of  provisions  sent  by  the  wives  of  the  merchants 
and  traders  reached  them,  and  as  many  came  out  to  see 
the  forces,  the  scene  along  the  road  resembled  a  great 
fair. 

In   this  fight  at  Brentford   Harry   Furness  was  en- 


FRIEXDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  35 

*aged.  The  Royalists  bad  anticipated  no  resistance 
here,  not  knowing  that  Llcllis  held  the  place,  and  Sir 
Henry  did  riot  think  of  ordering  Harry  to  remain  behind. 
At  the  moment  when  it  was  found  that  Hollis  was  ir? 
force  and  the  trumpets  sounded  the  charge,  the  lad  was 
riding  in  the  rear  of  the  troop,  talking  to  one  of  the. 
officers,  and  his  father  could  take  no  step  to  prevent  his 
joining.  Therefore,  when  the  trumpets  sounded  and 
the  troops  started  off  at  full  gallop  toward  the  town, 
Harry,  greatly  exulting  in  his  good  luck,  fell  in  with 
them  and  rode  down  the  streets  of  Brentford.  The 
musketry  fire  was  brisk,  and  many  of  the  troop  rolled 
from  their  horses.  Presently  they  were  dismounted  and 
ordered  to  take  the  houses  by  storm.  With  the  hilts  of 
their  swords  the}7  broke  in  the  doors,  and  there  was  fierce 
fighting  within. 

Harry,  who  was  rather  bewildered  with  the  din  and 
turmoil  of  the  fight,  did  as  the  rest,  and  followed  two  or 
three  of  the  men  into  one  of  the  houses,  whose  door  had 
been  broken  open.  They  were  assailed  as  they  entered 
by  a  fire  of  musketry  from  the  Parliament  men  within. 
Those  in  front  fell,  and  Harry  was  knocked  down  by  the 
butt  of  a  pike. 

When  he  recovered  he  found  himself  in  a  boat  drift- 
ing down  the  stream,  a  prisoner  of  the  Roundheads. 

For  a  long  time  Harry  could  hear  the  sounds  of  the 
guns  and  cannon  at  Brentford,  and  looking  round  at  the 
quiet  villages  which  they  passed  on  the  banks,  could 
scarce  believe  that  he  had  been  engaged  in  a  battle  and 
was  now  a  prisoner.  But  little  was  said  to  him.  The 
men  were  smarting  under  their  defeat  and  indulged  in 
the  bitterest  language  at  the  treachery  with  which,  after 
negotiations  had  been  agreed  upon,  the  advance  of  the 
Royalists  had  been  made.  They  speedily  discovered  the 
youth  of  their  captive,  and,  after  telling  him  brutally 
that  he  would  probably  be  hung  when  he  got  to  London, 


86         FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

they  paid  no  further  attention  to  him.  The  boat  wa8 
heavily  laden,  and  rowed  by  two  oars,  and  the  journey 
down  was  a  long  one,  for  the  tide  met  them  when  at  the 
village  of  Hammersmith,  and  they  were  forced  to  remain 
tied  up  to  a  tree  by  the  bank  until  it  turned  again. 
This  it  did  not  do  until  far  in  the  night,  and  the  morn- 
ing was  just  breaking  when  they  reached  London. 

It  was  perhaps  well  for  Harry  that  they  arrived  in  the 
dark,  for  in  the  excited  state  of  the  temper  of  the  citi- 
zens, and  their  anger  at  the  treachery  which  had  been 
practiced,  it  might  have  fared  but  badly  with  him.  He 
was  marched  along  the  Strand  to  the  city,  and  was  con- 
signed to  a  lock-up  in  Finsbury,  until  it  could  be  settled 
what  should  be  done  to  him.  In  fact,  the  next  day  his 
career  was  nearly  being  terminated,  for  John  Lilburn,  a 
captain  of  the  Train  Bands,  who  had  been  an  apprentice 
and  imprisoned  for  contumacy,  had  been  captured  at 
Brentford,  and  after  being  tried  for  his  life,  was  sen- 
tenced to  death  as  a  rebel.  Essex,  however,  sent  in 
word  to  the  Eoyalist  camp  that  for  every  one  of  the  Par- 
liament officers  put  to  death,  he  would  hang  three  Royal- 
ist prisoners.  This  threat  had  i|s  effect,  and  Harry 
remained  in  ignorance  of  the  danger  which  had  threat- 
ened him. 

The  greatest  inconvenience  which  befell  him  was  that 
he  was  obliged  to  listen  to  all  sorts  of  long  harangues 
upon  the  part  of  the  Puritan  soldiers  who  were  his 
jailers.  These  treated  him  as  a  misguided  lad,  and  did 
their  best  to  convert  him  from  the  evil  of  his  ways.  At 
last  Harry  lost  his  temper,  and  said  that  if  they  wanted 
to  hang  him,  they  might;  but  that  he  would  rather  put 
up  with  that  than  the  long  sermons  which  they  were  in 
the  habit  of  delivering  to  him.  Indignant  at  this  rejec- 
tion of  their  good  offices,  they  left  him  to  himself,  and 
days  passed  without  his  receiving  any  visit  save  that  of 
the  soldier  who  brought  his  meals. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  37 


CHAPTER    IV. 


i 

BREAKING    PRISON". 


HARRY'S  place  of  confinement  was  a  cell  leading  off  a 
guardroom  of  the  Train  Bands.  Occasionally  the  door 
was  left  open,  as  some  five  or  six  men  were  always  there, 
and  Harry  could  see  through  the  open  door  the  citizens 
of  London  training  at  arms.  Several  preachers  were  in 
the  habit  of  coming  each  day  to  discourse  to  those  on 
guard,  and  so  while  away  the  time,  and  upon  these  occa- 
sions the  door  was  generally  left  open,  in  order  that  the 
prisoner  might  be  edified  by  the  sermons.  Upon  one 
occasion  the  preacher,  a  small,  sallow-visaged  man, 
looked  into  the  cell  at  the  termination  of  his  discourse, 
and  seeing  Harry  asleep  on  his  truckle  bed,  awoke  him, 
and  lectured  him  severely  on  the  wickedness  of  allowing 
such  precious  opportunities  to  pass.  After  this  he  made 
a  point  of  coming  in  each  day  when  he  had  addressed 
the  guard,  and  of  offering  up  a  long  and  very  tedious 
prayer  on  behalf  of  the  young  reprobate.  These  preach- 
ings and  prayings  nearly  drove  Harry  out  of  his  mind. 
Confinement  was  bad  enough;  but  confinement  tem- 
pered by  a  course  of  continual  sermons,  delivered  mostly 
through  the  nose,  was  a  terrible  infliction.  At  last  the 
thought  presented  itself  to  him  that  he  might  manage 
to  effect  his  escape  in  the  garb  of  the  preacher.  He 
thought  the  details  over  and  over  in  his  mind,  and  at 
last  determined  at  any  rate  to  attempt  to  carry  them 
into  execution. 


j}8  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

One  day  he  noticed,  when  the  door  opened  for  the 
entry  of  the  preacher,  that  a  parade  of  unusual  magni- 
tude was  being  held  in  the  drill  yard,  some  officer  of 
importance  having  come  down  to  inspect  the  Train  Band. 
There  were  hut  four  men  left  in  the  guardroom  and 
these  were  occupied  in  gazing  out  of  the  window.  The 
preacher  came  direct  into  the  cell,  as  his  audience  in 
the  guardroom  for  once  were  not  disposed  to  listen  to 
him,  and  shutting  the  door  behind  him,  he  addressed  a 
few  words  of  exhortation  to  Harry,  and  then,  closing  his 
eyes,  began  a  long  prayer.  When  he  was  fairly  under 
way,  Harry  sprang  upon  him,  grasping  him  by  the 
throat  with  both  hands,  and  forced  him  back  upon  the 
bed.  The  little  preacher  was  too  much  surprised  to 
offer  the  smallest  resistance,  and  Harry,  who  had  drawn 
out  the  cords  used  in  supporting  the  sacking  of  the 
bed,  bound  him  hand  and  foot,  keeping,  while  he  did 
so.  the  pillow  across  his  face,  and  his  weight  on  the  top 
of  the  pillow,  thereby  nearly  putting  a  stop  to  the 
preacher's  prayers  and  exhortations  for  all  time.  Hav- 
ing safely  bound  him,  and-finding  that  he  did  not  strug- 
gle in  the  least,  Harry  removed  the  pillow,  and  was 
horrified  to  see  his  prisoner  black  in  the  face.  He  had, 
however,  no  time  for  regret  or  inquiry  how  far  the  man 
had  gone,  and  stuffing  a  handkerchief  into  his  mouth,  to 
preventvhis  giving  any  alarm  should  he  recover  breath 
enough  to  do  so,  Harry  placed  his  high  steeple  hat  upon 
his  head,  his  Geneva  bands  round  his  throat,  and  his 
long  black  mantle  over  his  shoulders.  He  then  opened 
the  door  and  walked  quietly  forth.  The  guards  were 
too  much  occupied  with  the  proceedings  in  the  parade 
ground  to  do  more  than  glance  round,  as  the  apparent 
preacher  departed.  Harry  strode  with  a  long  and  very 
stiff  step,  and  with  his  figure  bolt  upright,  to  the  gate 
of  the  parade  ground,  and  then  passing  through  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  39 

crowd  who  were  standing  there  gaping  at  the  proeedings 
within,  he  issued  forth  a  free  man. 

For  awhile  he  walked  at  a  brisk  pace,  and  then,  feel- 
ing secure  from  pursuit,  slackened  his  speed;  keeping 
westward  through  the  city,  he  passed  along  the  Strand 
'ind  out  into  the  country  beyond.  He  wore  his  beaver 
well  down  over  his  eyes,  and  walked  with  his  head  down 
as  if  meditating  deeply,  in  order  to  prevent  any  passers- 
by  from  observing  the  youthf ulness  of  his  face.  When 
he  arrived  at  the  village  of  Chelsea,  he  saw,  in  front  of 
a  gentleman's  house,  a  horse  hitched  up  to  a  hook 
placed  there  for  that  purpose.  Conceiving  that  for  a 
long  journey  four  legs  are  much  more  useful  than  two, 
and  that  when  he  got  beyond  the  confines  of  London  he 
should  attract  less  suspicion  upon  a  horse  than  if  strid- 
ing alone  along  the  road,  he  took  the  liberty  of  mount- 
ing it  and  riding  off.  When  he  had  gone  a  short  dis- 
tance he  heard  loud  shouts;  but  thinking  these  in  no  way 
to  concern  him,  he  rode  on  the  faster,  and  was  soon  be- 
yond the  sound  of  the  voices.  He  now  took  a  northerly 
direction,  traveled  through  Kensington,  and  then  keep- 
ing east  of  Acton,  where  he  knew  that  some  Parliament 
droops  were  quartered,  he  rode  for  the  village  of  Harrow. 
He  was  aware  that  the  Royalists  had  fallen  back  to 
Oxford,  and  that  the  Parliament  troops  were  at  Reading. 
He  therefore  made  to  the  northwest,  intending  to  cir- 
cuit round  and  so  reach  Oxford.  He  did  not  venture  to 
go  to  an  inn,  for  although,  as  a  rule,  the  keepers  of  these 
places  were,  being  jovial  men,  in  no  way  affected  toward 
the  Commons,  yet  he  feared  meeting  there  persons  who 
might  question  and  detain  him.  He  obtained  some 
provision  at  a  small  village  shop,  in  which  he  saw  a 
buxom  woman  standing  behind  her  counter.  She  ap- 
peared vastly  surprised  when  he  entered  and  asked  for  a 
manchet  of  bread,  for  the  contrast  between  his  ruddy 


40  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

countenance  and  his  Puritan  hat  and  bands  was  so  strik- 
ing that  they  could  not  fail  to  be  noticed.  The  good 
woman  looked  indeed  too  astonished  to  be  able  to  attend 
to  Harry's  request,  and  he  was  obliged  to  say,  "Mother, 
time  presses,  and  I  care  not  to  be  caught  loitering  here." 

Divining  at  once  that  he  was  acting  a  part,  and  proba- 
bly endeavoring  to  escape  the  pursuit  of  the  Commons, 
the  good  woman  at  once  served  him  with  bread  and 
some  slices  of  ham,  and  putting  these  in  the  wallets  of 
the  saddle,  he  rode  on. 

The  next  morning,  in  riding  through  the  village  of 
Wickham,  his  career  was  nearly  arrested.  Just  as  he 
passed  a  sergeant  followed  by  three  or  four  Parliament 
soldiers  came  out  from  an  inn,  and  seeing  Harry  riding 
past,  addressed  him: 

"Sir,  will  it  please  you  to  alight,  and  to  offer  up  a  few 
words  of  exhortation  and  prayer?" 

Harry  muttered  something  about  pressing  business. 
But  in  his  sudden  surprise  he  had  not  time  to  think  of 
assuming  either  the  nasal  drone  or  the  scriptural  words 
peculiar  to  these  black-coated  gentry.  Struck  by  his 
tone,  the  sergeant  sprang  forward  and  seized  his  bridle. 

"Whom  have  we  here?"  he  said;  "a  lad  masquerading 
in  the  dress  of  a  preacher.  This  must  be  explained, 
young  sir." 

"Sergeant,"  Harry  said,  "I  doubt  not  that  thou  art  a 
good  fellow,  and  not  one  to  get  a  lad  in  a  scrape.  I  am 
the  son  of  a  London  citizen;  but  he  and  my  mother  are 
at  present  greatly  more  occcupied  with  the  state  of  their 
souls  than  with  the  carrying  on  of  their  carnal  business. 
Being  young,  the  constant  offering  up  of  prayers  and 
exhortations  has  7exed  me  almost  to  desperation,  and 
yesterday,  while  the  good  preacher  who  attends  them 
was  in  the  midst  of  the  third  hour  of  his  discourse  I 
stole  downstairs,  and  borrowing  his  hat  and  oloak,  to- 


FRIENDS,   TliuUGH  DIVIDED.  41 

gether  with  his  horse,  determined  to  set  out  to  join  my 
uncle,  who  is  a  farmer  down  in  Gloucestershire,  and  where 
in  sooth  the  companionship  of  his  daughters — girls  of 
my  own  age — suits  my  disposition  greatly  better  than 
that  of  the  excellent  men  with  whom  my  father  consorts." 

The  soldiers  laughed,  and  the  sergeant,  who  was  not 
at  heart  a  bad  fellow,  said : 

"I  fear,  my  young  sir,  that  your  disposition  is  a  god- 
less one,  and  that  it  would  have  been  far  better  for  you 
to  have  remained  under  the  ministration  of  the  good 
man  whose  hat  you  are  wearing  than  to  have  sought  the 
society  of  your  pretty  cousins.  However,  I  do  not  know 
but  that  in  the  unregenerate  days  of  my  own  youth  I 
might  not  have  attempted  an  escapade  like  yours.  I 
trust,"  he  continued,  "you  are  not  tainted  with  the  evil 
doctrines  of  the  adherents  of  King  Charles." 

"In  truth,"  Harry  said,  "I  worry  not  my  head  with 
politics.  I  hear  so  much  of  them  that  I  am  fairly  sick 
of  the  subject,  and  have  not  yet  decided  whether  the 
Commons  is  composed  of  an  assembly  of  men  directly 
inspired  with  power  for  the  regeneration  of  mankind,  or 
whether  King  Charles  be  a  demon  in  human  shape. 
Methinks  that  when  I  grow  old  enough  to  bear  arms  it 
will  be  time  enough  for  me  to  make  up  my  mind  against 
whom  to  use  them.  At  present,  a  clothyard  is  the  stick 
to  which  I  am  mcst  accustomed,  and  as  plows  and 
harrows  are  greatly  more  in  accord  with  my  disposition, 
I  hope  that  for  a  long  time  I  shall  not  see  the  interior  of 
a  shop  again;  and  I  trust  that  the  quarrels  which  have 
brought  such  trouble  into  this  realm,  and  have  well-nigh 
made  my  father  and  mother  distraught,  will  at  least 
favor  my  sojourn  in  the  country,  for  I  am  sure  that  my 
father  will  not  venture  to  traverse  England  for  the  sake 
of  bringing  me  back  again." 

"I  am  not  sure,"  the  sergeant  said,  "that  my  duty 


42  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

would  not  bo  to  arrest  you  and  to  send  you  back  to  Lon- 
don. But  as,  in  truth,  I  have  no  instructions  to  hinder 
travelers,  I  must  even  let  you  go." 

With  a  merry  farewell  to  the  group,  and  a  laugh  far 
more  in  accordance  with  his  years  than  with  the  costume 
which  he  wore,  Harry  seb  spurs  to  his  horse  and  again 
rode  forward. 

He  met  with  no  further  adventure  on  the  road.  When 
he  found  by  inquiries  that  he  had  passed  the  outposts  of 
the  Parliament  forces,  he  joyfully  threw  the  hat,  the 
bands,  and  cloak  into  a  ditch,  for  experience  had  taught 
him  that,  however  useful  as  a  passport  they  might  be 
while  still  within  the  lines  of  the  troops  of  the  Com- 
mons, they  would  be  likely  to  procure  him  but  scant 
welcome  when  he  entered  those  of  the  Royalists.  Round 
Oxford  the  royal  army  were  encamped,  and  Harry 
speedily  discovered  that  his  father  was  with  his  troop  at 
his  own  place.  Turning  his  head  again  eastward,  he 
rode  to  Abingdon,  and  quickly  afterward  was  at  the 
hall. 

The  shout  of  welcome  which  the  servitor  who  opened 
the  door  uttered  when  he  saw  him  speedily  brought  his 
father  to  the  enWance,  and  Sir  Henry  was  overjoyed  at 
seeing  the  son  whom  he  believed  to  be  in  confinement  in 
London.  Harry's  tale  was  soon  told,  and  the  colonel 
roared  with  laughter  at  the  thought  of  his  boy  masque- 
rading as  a  Puritan  preacher. 

''King  Charles  himself,"  he  said,  "might  smile  over 
your  story,  Harry;  and  in  faith  it  takes  a  great  deal 
to  call  up  a  smile  into  his  majesty's  face,  which  is, 
methinks  a  pity,  for  he  would  be  more  loved,  and  not  less 
respected,  did  he,  by  his  appearance  and  manner,  do 
something  to  raise  the  spirits  of  those  around  him." 

When  once  seated  in  the  hall  Harry  inquired  of  his 
father  what  progress  had  been  made  since  he  was  taken 
prisoner,  for  he  had  heard  nothing  from  his  guards. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.         43 

"Things  are  as  they  were,"  his  father  said.  "After 
our  unfortunate  advance  we  fell  back  hither,  and  for  six 
weeks  nothing  was  done.  A  fortnight  since,  on  the  2d 
of  January,  a  petition  was  brought  by  deputies  from  the 
Common  Council  of  London,  asking  tne  king  to  return 
to  the  capital  when  all  disturbance  should  be  suppressed. 
King  Charles,  however,  knew  not  that  these  gentlemen 
had  the  power  to  carry  out  their  promises,  seeing  that 
the  seditious  have  the  upper  hand  in  the  capital,  and 
answered  them  to  that  effect.  EKs  answer  was,  however, 
methinks,  far  less  conciliatory  and  prudent  than  it 
might  have  been,  for  it  boots  not  to  stir  up  men's  minds 
unnecessarily,  and  with  a  few  affectionate  words  the 
king  might  have  strengthened  his  party  in  London.  The 
result,  however,  was  to  lead  to  a  fierce  debate,  in  which 
Pym  and  Lord  Manchester  addressed  the  multitude,  and 
stirred  them  up  to  indignation,  and  I  fear  that  prospects 
of  peace  are  further  away  than  ever.  In  other  respects 
there  is  good  and  bad  news.  Yorkshire  and  Cheshire, 
Devon  and  Cornwall,  have  all  declared  for  the  crown; 
but  upon  the  other  hand,  in  the  east  ohe  prospects  are 
most  gloomy.  There,  the  seven  counties,  Norfolk, 
Suffolk,  Essex,  Cambridge,  Herts,  Lincoln,  and  Hunting- 
don, have  joined  themselves  into  an  association,  and 
the  king's  followers  dare  not  lift  their  heads.  At  Lich- 
field,  Lord  Brook,  a  fierce  opponent  of  bishops  and 
cathedrals,  while  besieging  a  party  of  Cavaliers  who  had 
taken  possession  of  the  close,  was  shot  in  the  eye  and 
killed.  These  are  the  only  incidents  that  have  taken 
place." 

For  some  weeks  no  event  of  importance  occurred.  On 
the  22d  of  February  the  queen,  who  had  been  absent  on, 
the  Continent  selling  her  jewels  and  endeavoring  to 
raise  a  force,  landed  at  Burlington,  with  four  ships,  hav- 
ing succeeded  in  evading  the  ships  of  war  which  the 


44  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Commons  had  dispatched  to  cut  her  off,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Admiral  Batten.  That  night,  however,  the 
Parliament  fleet  arrived  off  the  place,  and  opened  fire 
upon  the  ships  and  village.-  The  queen  was  in  a  house 
near  the  shore,  and  the  balls  struck  in  all  directions 
round.  She  was  forced  to  get  up,  throw  on  a  few 
clothes,  and  retire  on  foot  to  some  distance  from  the 
village  to  the  shelter  of  a  ditch,  where  she  sat  for  two 
hours,  the  balls  sometimes  striking  dust  over  them,  and 
singing  round  in  all  directions.  It  was  a  question 
whether  the  small  force  which  the  queen  brought  with 
her  was  not  rather  a  hindrance  than  an  assistance  to  the 
royal  cause,  for  the  Earl  of  Newcastle,  who  had  been 
sent  to  escort  her  to  York,  was  authorized  by  the  king 
to  raise  men  for  the  service,  without  examining  their 
consciences,  that  is  to  say,  to  receive  Catholics  as  well  as 
Protestants.  The  Parliament  took  advantage  of  this  to 
style  his  army  the  Catholic  Army,  and  this,  and  some 
tamperings  with  the  Papists  in  Ireland,  increased  the 
popular  belief  that  the  king  leaned  toward  Roman  Cathol- 
icism, and  thus  heightened  the  feelings  against  him, 
and  embittered  the  religious  as  well  as  the  political 
quarrel. 

Toward  the  end  of  March  commissioners  from  the 
Parliament,  under  the  Earl  of  Northumberland,  came  to 
Oxford  with  propositions  to  treat.  It  is  questionable 
whether  the  offers  of  the  Commons  were  sincere.  But 
Charles,  by  his  vacillation  and  hesitation,  by  yielding 
one  day  and  retracting  the  next,  gave  them  the  oppor- 
tunity of  asserting,  with  some  show  of  reason,  that  he 
was  wholly  insincere,  and  could  not  be  trusted;  and  so 
the  commission  was  recalled,  and  the  war  went  on  again. 

On  the  15th  of  April  Parliament  formally  declared 
the  negotiations  to  be  at  an  end,  and  on  that  day  Essex 
marohed  with  his  army  to  the  siege  of  Reading.  The 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  45 

place  was  fortified,  and  had  a  resolute  garrison;  but  by 
some  gross  oversight  no  provisions  or  stores  had  been 
collected,  and  after  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to  relieve 
the  town,  when  the  Royalist  forces  failed  to  carry  the 
bridge  at  Caversham,  they  fell  back  upon  Wallingford, 
and  Reading  surrendered.  Meanwhile  skirmishes  were 
going  on  all  over  the  country.  Sir  William  Waller  was 
successful  against  the  Royalists  in  the  south  and  west. 
In  the  north  Lord  Newcastle  was  opposed  to  Fairfax, 
and  the  result  was  doubtful;  while  in  Cornwall  the 
Royalists  had  gained  a  battle  over  the  Parliament  men 
under  Lord  Stamford. 

Meanwhile,  the  king  was  endeavoring  to  create  a  party 
in  the  Parliament,  and  Lady  Aubigny  was  intrusted  with 
the  negotiations.  The  plot  was,  however,  discovered. 
Several  members  of  Parliament  were  arrested,  and  two 
executed  by  orders  of  the  Parliament. 

Early  in  June  Colonel  Furness  and  his  troop  were 
called  into  Oxford,  as  it  was  considered  probable  that 
some  expeditions  would  be  undertaken,  and  on  the  17th 
of  that  month  Prince  Rupert  formed  up  his  horse  and 
sallied  out  against  the  outlying  pickets  and  small  troops 
of  the  Parliament.  Several  of  these  he  surprised  and 
cut  up,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  reached  Chal- 
grove  Field,  near  Thame.  Hampden  was  in  command 
of  a  detachment  of  Parliamentary  troops  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, and  sending  word  to  Essex,  who  lay  near,  to 
come  up  to  his  assistance,  attacked  Prince  Rupert's 
force.  His  men,  however,  could  not  stand  against  the 
charge  of  the  Royalists.  They  were  completely  de- 
feated, and  Hampden,  one  of  the  noblest  characters  of 
his  age,  was  shot  through  the  shoulder.  He  managed 
to  keep  his  horse,  and  ride  across  country  to  Thame, 
where  he  hoped  to  obtain  medical  assistance.  After  six 
days  of  pain  he  died  there,  and  thus  England  lost  the 


46  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

only  man  who  could,  in  the  days  that  were  to  come,  have 
moderated,  and  perhaps  defeated,  the  ambition  of 
Cromwell. 

Essex  arrived  upon  the  scene  of  battle  a  few  minutes 
after  the  defeat  of  Hampden's  force,  and  Prince  Rupert 
fell  back,  and  crossing  the  Thames  returned  to  Oxford, 
having  inflicted  much  damage  upon  the  enemy. 

Shortly  after  this  event,  one  of  the  serving  men  rushed 
in  to  Harry  with  the  news  that  a  strong  band  of  Parlia- 
ment horse  were  within  three  or  four  miles  of  the  place, 
and  were  approaching.  Harry  at  once  sent  for  the 
steward,  and  a  dozen  men  were  summoned  in  all  haste. 
On  their  arrival  they  set  to  work  to  strip  the  hall  of  its 
most  valued  furniture.  The  pictures  were  taken  down 
from  the  wallf,  the  silver  and  plate  tumbled  into  chests, 
the  arms  and  armor  worn  by  generations  of  the  Furnesses 
removed  from  the  armory,  the  choicest  articles  of  furni- 
ture of  a  portable  character  put  into  carts,  together  with 
some  twenty  casks  of  the  choicest  wine  in  the  cellars, 
and  in  four  hours  only  the  heavier  furniture,  the  chairs 
and  tables,  buffets  and  heavy  sideboards  remained  in 
their  places. 

Just  as  the  carts  were  filled  news  came  that  the 
enemy  had  ridden  into  Abingdon.  Night  was  now  com- 
ing on,  and  the  carts  at  once  started  with  their  contents 
for  distant  farms,  where  the  plate  and  wine  were  to  be 
buried  in  holes  dug  in  copses,  and  other  places  little 
likely  to  be  searched  by  the  Puritans.  The  pictures  and 
furniture  were  stowed  away  in  lofts  and  covered  deeply 
with  hay. 

Having  seen  the  furniture  sent  off,  Harry  awaited  the 
arrival  of  the  Parliament  bands,  which  he  doubted  not 
would  be  dispatched  by  the  Puritans  among  the  towns- 
people to  the  hall.  The  stables  were  already  empty 
except  for  Kollo,  Harry's  own  horse.  This  he  had  at  once, 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  4? 

upon  the  alarm  being  given,  sent  off  to  a  farm  a  mile 
distant  from  the  hall,  and  with  it  its  saddle,  bridle,  and 
his  arms,  a  brace  of  rare  pistols,  breast  and  back  pieces, 
a  steel  cap  with  plumes,  and  his  sword.  It  cost  him  an 
effort  to  part  with  the  last,  for  he  now  carried  it  habitu- 
ally. But  he  thought  that  it  might  be  taken  from  him, 
and,  moreover,  he  feared  that  he  might  be  driven  into 
drawing  it,  when  the  consequences  might  be  serious,  not 
only  for  himself,  but  for  the  mansion  of  which  his  father 
had  left  him  in  charge. 

At  nine  a  servitor  came  in  to  say  that  a  party  of  men 
were  riding  up  the  drive.  Harry  seated  himself  in  the 
colonel's  armchair,  and  repeated  to  himself  the  deter- 
mination at  which  he  had  arrived  of  being  perfectly 
calm  and  collected,  and  of  bearing  himself  with  patience 
and  dignity.  Presently  he  heard  the  clatter  of  horses' 
hoofs  in  the  courtyard,  and  two  minutes  later,  the  tramp 
of  feet  in  the  passage.  The  door  opened,  and  an  officer 
entered,  followed  by  five  or  six  soldiers. 

This  man  was  one  of  the  worst  types  of  Roundhead 
officers.  He  was  a  London  draper,  whose  violent 
harangues  had  brought  him  into  notice,  and  secured  for 
him  a  commission  in  the  raw  levies  when  they  were  first 
raised.  Harry  rose  as  he  entered. 

"You  are  the  son  of  the  man  who  is  master  of  this 
house?"  the  officer  said  roughly. 

"I  am  his  son  and  representative,"  Harry  said  calmly. 

"I  hear  that  he  is  a  malignant  fighting  in  the  ranks  of 
King  Charles." 

"My  father  is  a  colonel  in  the  army  of  his  gracious 
majesty  the  king,"  Harry  said. 

"You   are   an  insolent  young  dog!"  the  captain  ex- 
claimed.    "We   will   teach   you    manners,"   and    rising 
from  the  seat  into  which  he  had  thrown  himself  on  en 
tering  the  hall,  he  struck  Harry  heavily  in  the  face. 


48  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

The  boy  staggered  back  against  the  wall;  then  with  a 
bound  he  snatched  a  sword  from  the  hand  of  one  of  the 
troopers,  and  before  the  officer  had  time  to  recoil  or 
throw  up  his  hands,  he  smote  him  with  all  his  force 
across  the  face.  With  a  terrible  cry  the  officer  fell  back, 
and  Harry,  throwing  down  the  sword,  leaped  through 
the  open  window  into  the  garden  and  dashed  into  the 
shrubberies,  as  half  a  dozen  balls  from  the  pistols  of  the 
astonished  troopers  whizzed  about  his  head. 

For  a  few  minutes  he  ran  at  the  top  of  his  speed,  as  he 
heard  shouts  and  pistol  shots  behind  him.  But  he  knew 
that  in  the  darkness  strangers  would  have  no  chance 
whatever  of  overtaking  him,  and  he  slackened  his 
pace  into  a  trot.  As  he  ran  he  took  himself  to  task  for 
not  having  acted  up  to  his  resolution.  But  the  reflec- 
tion that  his  father  would  not  disapprove  of  his  having 
cut  down  the  man  who  had  struck  him  consoled  him, 
and  he  kept  on  his  way  to  the  farm  where  he  had  left 
his  horse.  In  other  respects,  he  felt  a  wild  delight  at 
what  had  happened.  There  was  nothing  for  him  now 
but  to  join  the  Royal  army,  and  his  father  could  hardly 
object  to  his  taking  his  place  with  the  regiment. 

"I  wish  I  had  fifty  of  them  here,"  he  thought  to  him- 
self; "we  would  surround  the  hall,  and  pay  these  traitors 
dearly.  As  for  their  captain,  I  would  hang  him  over 
the  door  with  my  own  hands.  The  cowardly  ruffian,  to 
strike  an  unarmed  boy!  At  any  rate  I  have  spoiled  his 
beauty  for  him,  for  I  pretty  nearly  cut  his  face  in  two. 
I  shall  know  him  by  the  scar  if  I  ever  meet  him  in  bat- 
tle, and  then  we  will  finish  the  quarrel. 

"I  shall  not  be  able  to  see  out  of  my  right  eye  in  the 
morning,"  he  grumbled;  "and  shall  be  a  nice  figure 
when  I  ride  into  Oxford." 

As  he  approached  the  farm  he  slackened  his  speed  to 
a  walk,  and  neared  the  house  very  carefully,  for  he 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  49 

thought  it  possible  that  one  of  the  parties  of  the  enemy 
might  already  have  taken  up  his  quarters  there.  The 
silence  that  reigned,  broken  by  the  loud  barking  of 
dogs  as  he  came  close,  proved  that  no  stranger  had  yet 
arrived,  and  he  knocked  loudly  at  the  door.  Presently 
an  upper  window  was  opened,  and  a  woman's  voice  in- 
quired who  he  was,  and  what  he  wanted. 

"I  am  Harry  Furness,  Dame  Arden,"  he  said.  "The 
Eoundheads  are  at  the  hall,  and  I  have  sliced  their  cap- 
tain's face;  so  I  must  be  away  with  all  speed.  Please 
get  the  men  up,  and  lose  not  a  moment;  I  want  my  arms 
and  horse." 

The  farmer's  wife  lost  no  time  in  arousing  the  house, 
and  in  a  very  few  minutes  all  was  ready.  One  man  sad- 
dled the  horse,  while  another  buckled  on  Harry's  breast 
and  back  pieces;  and  with  a  hearty  good-by,  and  amid 
many  prayers  for  his  safety  and  speedy  return  with  the 
king's  troops,  Harry  rode  off  into  the  darkness.  For 
awhile  he  rode  cautiously,  listening  intently  lest  he  might 
fall  into  the  hands  of  some  of  the  Roundhead  bands. 
But  all  was  quiet,  and  after  placing  another  mile  or  two 
between  himself  and  Abingdon,  he  concluded  that  he 
was  safe,  drew  Kollo's  reins  tighter,  pressed  him  with 
hi*  knsti,  and  started  at  full  gallop  for  Oxford. 


50  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDMD. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  MISSION   OF  STATB. 

WHEN  Harry  rode  into  Oxford  wiih  the  news  that  the 
Roundheads  had  made  a  raid  as  far  as  Abingdon,  no  time 
was  lost  in  sounding  to  boot  and  saddle,  and  in  half  an* 
hour  the  Cavalier  horse  were  trotting  briskly  in  that 
direction.  They  entered  Abingdon  unopposed,  and 
found  to  their  disgust  that  the  Roundheads  had  departed 
an  hour  after  their  arrival.  A  party  went  up  to  Fur- 
ness  Hall,  and  found  it  also  deserted.  The  Roundheads, 
in  fact,  had  made  but  a  flying  raid,  had  carried  off  one 
or  two  of  the  leading  Royalists  in  the  town,  and  had,  on 
their  retirement,  been  accompanied  by  several  of  the 
party  favorable  to  the  Commons,  among  others,  Master 
Rippinghall  aL  1  the  greater  portion  of  his  men,  who 
had,  it  was  suspected,  been  already  enrolled  for  the  serv- 
ice of  the  Parliament.  Some  of  the  Royalists  would  fain 
have  sacked  the  house  of  the  wool-stapler;  but  Colonel 
Furness,  who  had  accompanied  the  force  with  his  troop, 
opposed  this  vehemently. 

4<As  long  as  we  can,"  he  said,  "let  private  houses  be 
respected.  If  the  Puritans  commence,  it  will  be  time 
for  us  to  retort.  There  are  gentlemen's  mansions  all 
over  the  country,  many  of  them  in  the  heart  of  Round- 
head neighborhoods,  and  if  they  had  once  an  excuse  in 
our  proceedings  not  one  of  these  would  be  safe  for  a 
minute  " 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  51 

Leaving  a  strong  force  of  horse  in  Abingdon,  Prince 
Kupert  returned  to  Oxford,  and  Colonel  Furness  again 
settled  down  in  his  residence,  his  troop  dispersing  to  their 
farms  until  required,  a  small  body  only  remaining  at 
Furness  Hall  as  a  guard,  and  in  readiness  to  call  the  others 
to  arms  if  necessary.  The  colonel  warmly  approved  of 
the  steps  that  Harry  had  taken  to  save  the  valuables, 
-ind  determined  that  until  the  war  was  at  an  end  these 
should  remain  hidden,  as  it  was  probable  enough  that 
the  chances  of  the  strife  might  again  lead  the  Round- 
heads thither. 

"I  hope,  father,"  Harry  Furness  said  the  following 
day,  "that  you  will  now  permit  me  to  join  the  troop.  I 
am  getting  on  for  sixteen,  and  could  surely  bear  myself 
as  a  man  in  the  fray." 

"If  the  time  should  come,  Harry,  when  the  fortune  of 
war  may  compel  the  king  to  retire  from  Oxford — which 
I  trust  may  never  be — I  would  then  grant  your  request, 
for  after  your  encounter  with  the  officer  who  commanded 
the  Roundheads  here,  it  would  not  be  safe  for  you  to 
remain  behind.  But  although  you  are  too  young  to 
take  part  in  the  war,  I  may  find  you  employment.  After 
a  council  that  was  held  yesterday  at  Oxford,  I  learned, 
from  one  in  the  king's  secrets,  that  it  was  designed  to 
send  a  messenger  to  London  with  papers  of  impor- 
tance, and  to  keep  up  the  communication  with  the  king's 
friends  in  that  city.  There  was  some  debate  as  to  who 
should  be  chosen.  In  London,  at  the  present  time,  all 
strangers  are  closely  scrutinized.  Every  man  is  sus- 
picious of  his  neighbor,  and  it  is  difficult  to  find  one  of 
sufficient  trust  whose  person  is  unknown.  Then  I  have 
thought  that  maybe  you  could  well  fulfill  this  important 
mission.  A  boy  would  be  unsuspected,  where  a  man's 
every  movement  would  be  watched.  There  is,  of  course, 
some  danger  attending  the  mission,  and  sharpness  and 


52  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

readiness  will  be  needed.  You  have  shown  that  you 
possess  these,  by  the  manner  in  which  you  made  your 
escape  from  London,  and  methinks  that,  did  you  offer, 
your  services  would  be  accepted.  You  would  have,  of 
course,  to  go  in  disguise,  and  to  accept  any  situation  which 
might  appear  conformable  to  your  character  and  add  to 
your  safety." 

Harry  at  once  gladly  assented  to  the  proposal.  He 
was  at  the  age  when  lads  are  most  eager  for  adventure, 
and  he  thought  that  it  would  be  great  fun  to  be  living  in 
London,  watching  the  doings  of  the  Commons,  and,  so 
far  as  was  in  his  power,  endeavoring  to  thwart  them. 
Accordingly  in  the  afternoon  he  rode  over  with  Sir 
Henry  to  Oxford.  They  dismounted  in  the  courtyard 
cf  the  building  which  served  as  the  king's  court,  and 
entering,  Sir  Henry  left  Harry  in  an  antechamber,  and, 
craving  an  audience  with  his  majesty,  was  at  once  ushered 
into  the  king's  cabinet.  A  few  minutes  later  he  re- 
turned, and  motioned  to  Harry  to  follow  him.  The 
latter  did  so,  and  the  next  moment  found  himself  in  the 
presence  of  the  king.  The  latter  held  out  his  hand  for 
the  boy  to  kiss,  and  Harry,  falling  on  one  knee,  and 
greatly  abashed  at  the  presence  in  which  he  found  him- 
self, pressed  his  lips  to  King  Charles'  hand. 

"I  hear  from  your  father,  my  trusty  Sir  Henry  Fur- 
ness,  that  you  are  willing  to  adventure  your  life  in  our 
cause,  and  to  go  as  our  messenger  to  London,  find  act 
there  as  our  intermediary  with  our  friends.  You  seem 
young  for  so  delicate  a  work;  but  your  father  has  told 
me  somewhat  of  the  manner  in  which  you  escaped  from 
the  hands  of  the  traitors  at  Westminster,  and  also  how 
you  bore  yourself  in  the  affair  with  the  rebels  at  his  resi- 
dence. It  seems  to  me,  then,  that  we  must  not  judge 
your  wisdom  by  your  years,  and  that  we  can  safely  con- 
fide our  interests  in  your  hands.  Your  looks  are  frank 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  53 

and  boyish,  and  will,  therefore,  excite  far  less  suspicion 
than  that  which  would  attend  upon  an  older  and  graver- 
looking  personage.  The  letters  will  be  prepared  for  you 
to-morrow,  and,  believe  me,  should  success  finally  crown 
our  efforts  against  these  enemies  of  the  crown, your  loyalty 
and  devotion  will  not  be  forgotten  by  your  king." 

He  again  held  out  his  hand  to  Harry,  and  the  boy  left 
the  cabinet  with  his  heart  burning  with  loyalty  toward 
his  monarch,  and  resolved  that  life  itself  should  be  held 
cheap  if  it  could  be  spent  in  the  service  of  so  gracious 
and  majestic  a  king. 

The  next  morning  a  royal  messenger  brought  out  a 
packet  of  letters  to  Furness  Hall,  and  Harry,  mounting 
with  his  father  and  the  little  body  of  horse  at  the  hall, 
rode  toward  London.  His  attire  was  that  of  a  country 
peasant  boy.  The  letters  were  concealed  in  the  hollow 
of  a  stout  ashen  stick  which  he  carried,  and  which  had 
been  slightly  weighted  with  lead,  so  that,  should  it  be 
taken  up  by  any  but  its  owner,  its  lightness  would  not 
attract  attention.  Sir  Henry  rode  with  him  as  far  as  it 
was  prudent  to  do  toward  the  outposts  of  the  Parliament 
troops.  Then,  bidding  him  a  tender  farewell,  and  im- 
pressing upon  him  the  necessity  for  the  utmost  cauti  u9 
both  for  his  own  sake  and  for  that  of  the  king,  he  left 
him. 

It  was  not  upon  the  highroad  that  they  parted,  but 
near  a  village  some  little  distance  therefrom.  In  his 
pocket  Harry  had  two  or  three  pieces  of  silver,  and  be- 
tween the  soles  of  his  boots  were  sewn  several  gold  coins. 
These  he  did  not  anticipate  having  to  use;  but  the 
necessity  might  arise  when  such  a  deposit  would  prove 
of  use.  Harry  walked  quietly  through  the  village,  where 
his  appearance  was  unnoticed,  and  then  along  the  road 
toward  Beading.  He  soon  met  a  troop  of  Parliament 
horsemen;  but  as  he  was  sauntering  along  quietly,  as  if 


54  FRIENDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

merely  going  from  one  village  to  another,  no  attention 
whatever  was  paid  to  him,  and  he  reached  Heading  with- 
out the  slightest  difficulty.  There  he  took  up  his  ahode 
for  the  night  at  a  small  hostelry,  mentioning  to  the  host 
that  his  master  had  wanted  him  to  join  the  king's  forces, 
but  that  he  had  no  stomach  for  fighting,  and  intended 
to  get  work  in  the  town.  The  following  morning  he 
again  started,  and  proceeded  as  far  as  Windsor,  where 
he  slept.  The  next  day,  walking  through  Hounslow  and 
Brentford,  he  stopped  for  the  night  at  the  village  of 
Kensington,  and  the  following  morning  entered  the  city. 
Harry  had  never  before  been  in  the  streets  of  London, 
for  in  his  flight  from  his  prison  he  had  at  once  issued 
into  the  country,  and  the  bustle  and  confusion  which 
prevailed  excited  'great  surprise  in  his  mind.  Even 
Oxford,  busy  as  it  was  at  the  time,  and  fall  of  the  troops 
of  the  king  and  of  the  noblemen  and  gentlemen  who 
had  rallied  to  his  cause,  was  yet  quiet  when  compared 
with  London.  The  booths  along  the  main  streets  were 
filled  with  goods,  and  at  these  the  apprentices  shouted 
loudly  to  all  passers-by,  "What  d'ye  lack?  What  d'ye 
lack?"  Here  was  a  mercer  exhibiting  dark  cloths  to  a 
grave-looking  citizen;  there  an  armorer  was  showing  the 
temper  of  his  wares  to  an  officer.  Citizens'  wives  were 
shopping  and  gossiping;  groups  of  men,  in  high  steeple 
hats  and  dark  cloaks,  were  moving  along  the  streets. 
Pack  horses  carried  goods  from  the  ships  at  the  wharves 
below  the  bridge  to  the  merchants,  arid  Harry  was  jostled 
hither  and  thither  by  the  moving  crowd.  Ascending  the 
hill  of  Ludgate  to  the  great  cathedral  of  St.  Paul's,  he 
saw  a  crowd  gathered  round  a  person  on  an  elevated 
stand  in  the  yard,  and  approaching  to  see  what  was 
going  on,  found  that  a  preacher  was  pouring  forth 
anathemas  against  the  king  and  the  Royal  party,  and 
inciting  the  citizens  to  throw  themselves  heart  and  soul 


FRISND8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  55 

into  the  cause.  Especially  severe  was  he  upon  waverers, 
who,  he  said,  were  worse  than  downright  enemies,  as, 
while  the  one  withstood  the  Parliament  openly  in  fair 
tight,  the  others  were  shifted  to  and  fro  with  each 
breeze,  and  none  could  say  whether  they  were  friends  or 
enemies.  Passing  through  the  cathedral,  where  regular 
services  were  no  longer  held,  but  where,  in  different 
corners,  preachers  were  holding  forth  against  the  king, 
and  where  groups  of  men  strolled  up  and  down,  talking 
of  the  troubles  of  the  times,  he  issued  at  the  eastern 
door,  and  entering  Cheapside,  saw  the  sign  of  the  mer- 
chant to  whom  he  had  been  directed. 

This  was  Nicholas  Fleming,  a  man  of  Dutch  descent, 
and  well  spoken  of  among  his  fellows.  He  dealt  in  silks 
and  velvets  from  Genoa.  His  shop  presented  less  out- 
ward appearance  than  did  those  of  his  neighbors,  the 
goods  being  too  rich  and  rare  to  be  exposed  to  the 
weather,  and  he  himself  dealing  rather  with  smaller 
traders  than  with  the  general  public.  The  merchant — a 
grave-looking  man — was  sitting  at  his  desk  when  Harry 
entered.  A  clerk  was  in  the  shop,  engaged  in  writing, 
and  an  apprentice  was  rolling  up  a  piece  of  silk.  Harry 
removed  his  hat,  and  went  up  to  the  merchant's  table, 
and  laying  a  letter  upon  it,  said: 

"I  have  come,  sir,  from  Dame  Marjory,  my  aunt,  who 
was  your  honor's  nurse,  with  a  letter  from  her,  praying 
you  to  take  me  as  an  apprentice." 

The  merchant  glanced  for  a  moment  at  the  boy.  He 
was  expecting  a  message  from  the  Eoyalist  camp,  and 
his  keen  wit  at  once  led  him  to  suspect  that  the  bearer 
stood  before  him,  although  his  appearance  in  nowise 
justified  such  a  thought,  for  Harry,,  had  assumed  with 
his  peasant  clothes  a  look  of  stolid  stupidity  which  cer- 
tainly gave  no  warrant  for  the  thought  that  a  keen  spirit 
lay  behind  it.  Without  a  word  the  merchant  opened 


56  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  letter,  which,  in  truth,  contained  nearly  the  same 
words  which  Harry  had  spoken,  but  whose  signature  was 
sufficient  to  the  merchant  to  indicate  that  his  suspicions 
were  correct. 

"Sit  down,"  he  said  to  the  lad.  "I  am  busy  now; 
but  will  talk  with  you  anon." 

Harry  took  his  seat  on  a  low  stool,  while  the  merchant 
continued  his  writing  as  before,  as  if  the  incident  were 
too  unimportant  to  arrest  his  attention  for  a  moment. 
Harry  amused  himself  by  looking  round  the  shop,  and 
was  specially  attracted  by  the  movements  of  the  appren- 
tice, a  sharp-looking  lad,  rather  younger  than  himself, 
and  who,  having  heard  what  had  passed,  seized  every 
opportunity,  when  he  was  so  placed  that  neither  the 
merchant  nor  his  clerk  could  observe  his  face  to  make 
grimaces  at  Harry,  indicative  of  contempt  and  derision. 
Harry  was  sorely  tempted  to  laugh;  but,  with  an  effort, 
he  kept  his  countenance,  assuming  only  a  grin  of  wonder 
which  greatly  gratified  Jacob,  who  thought  that  he  had 
obtained  as  companion  a  butt  who  would  afford  him 
infinite  amusement. 

After  the  merchant  had  continued  his  writing  for  an 
hour,  he  laid  down  his  pen,  and  saying  to  Harry  "Follow 
me;  I  will  speak  to  Dame  Alice,  my  wife,  concerning 
thee,"  left  the  shop  and  entered  the  inner  portion  of 
the  house,  followed  by  Harry.  The  merchant  led  him 
into  a  sitting-room  on  the  floor  above,  where  his  wife,  a 
comely  dame,  was  occupied  with  her  needle. 

"Dame,"  he  said,  "this  is  a  new  apprentice  whom  my 
nurse,  Marjory,  has  sent  me.  A  promising-looking 
youth,  is  he  not?" 

His  wife  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

"I  have  never  heard  thee  speak  of  thy  nurse,  Nicholas, 
and  surely  the  lad  looks  not  apt  to  learning  the  mysteries 
of  a  trade  like  thine." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  57 

The  merchant  smiled  gravely. 

"He  must  be  more  apt  than  he  looks,  dame,  or  he 
would  never  have  been  chosen  for  the  service  upon  which 
he  is  engaged.  Men  do  not  send  fools  to  risk  their  lives; 
and  I  have  been  watching  him  for  the  last  hour,  and 
have  observed  how  he  bore  himself  under  the  tricks  ot 
that  jackanapes,  Jacob,  and  verily  the  wonder  which  I 
at  first  felt  when  he  presented  himself  to  me  has  passed 
away,  and  what  appeared  to  me  at  first  sight  a  strange 
imprudence,  seems  now  to  be  a  piece  of  wisdom.  But 
enough  of  riddles,"  he  said,  seeing  that  his  wife's  aston- 
ishment increased  as  he  went  on.  "This  lad  is  a  mes- 
senger from  Oxford,  and  bears,  I  doubt  not,  important 
documents.  What  is  thy  true  name,  boy?'* 

"I  am  Harry  Furness,  the  son  of  Sir  Henry  Furness, 
one  of  the  king's  officers,"  Harry  said;  "and  my  papers 
are  concealed  within  this  staff." 

Thereupon  he  lifted  his  stick  and  showed  that  at  the 
bottom  a  piece  of  wood  had  been  artfully  fitted  into  a 
hollow,  and  then^  by  being  rubbed  upon  the  ground,  so 
worn  as  to  appear  part  of  a  solid  whole.  Taking  his 
knife  from  his  pocket,  he  cut  off  an  inch  from  the  lower 
end  of  the  stick,  and  then  shook  out  on  to  the  table  a 
number  of  slips  of  paper  tightly  rolled  together. 

"I  will  examine  these  at  my  leisure,"  the  merchant 
said;  "and  now  as  to  thyself.  What  instructions  have 
you?" 

"I  am  told,  sir,  to  take  up  my  abode  with  you,  if  it  so 
pleases  you;  to  assume  the  garb  and  habits  of  an  appren- 
tice; and,  moreover,  to  do  such  messages  as  you  may 
give  me,  and  whi<jh,  perhaps,  I  may  perform  with  less 
risk  of  observation,  and  with  more  fidelity  than  any 
ordinary  messenger." 

"The  proposal  is  a  good  one,"  the  trader  said.  "I 
am  often  puzzled  how  to  send  notes  to  those  of  my 


58  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

neighbors  with  whom  I  am  in  correspondence,  for  the 
lad  Jacob  is  sharp — too  sharp,  indeed,  for  my  purpose, 
and  might  suspect  the  purport  of  his  goings  and  com- 
ings. I  believe  him  to  be  faithful,  though  overapt  to 
mischief.  But  in  these  days  one  cares  not  to  risk  one's 
neck  unless  on  a  surety.  The  first  thing  will  be,  then, 
to  procure  for  thee  a  suit  of  clothes,  suitable  to  thy  new 
position.  Under  the  plea  that  at  present  work  is  but 
slack — for  indeed  the  troubles  of  the  times  have  well-nigh 
ruined  the  trade  in  such  goods  as  mine,  throwing  it  all 
into  the  hands  of  the  smiths — I  shall  be  able  to  grant 
thee  some  license,  and  to  allow  thee  to  go  about  and  see 
the  city  and  acquaint  thyself  with  its  ways.  Master 
Jacob  may  feel,  perhaps,  a  little  jealous;  but  this  mat- 
ters not.  I  somewhat  misdoubt  the  boy,  though  perhaps 
unjustly.  But  I  know  not  how  his  opinions  may  go 
toward  matters  politic.  He  believes  me,  I  think,  as  do 
other  men,  to  be  attached  to  the  present  state  of  things; 
but  even  did  his  thoughts  jump  otherwise,  he  would  not 
have  opened  his  lips  before  me.  It  would  be  well,  there- 
fore, for  you  to  be  cautious  in  the  extreme  with  him, 
and  to  find  out  of  a  verity  what  be  his  nature  and  dis- 
position. Doubtless,  in  time,  he  will  unbosom  to  you, 
and  you  may  see  whether  he  has  any  suspicions,  and  how 
far  he  is  to  be  trusted.  He  was  recommended  to  me  by 
a  friend  at  Poole,  and  I  know  not  the  opinions  of  his 
people.  I  will  come  forth  with  you  now  and  order  the 
clothes  without  delay,  and  we  will  return  in  time  for 
dinner,  which  will  be  at  twelve,  of  which  time  ifc  now 
lacks  half  an  hour." 

Putting  on  his  high  hat,  the  merchant  sallied  out  with 
Harry  into  the  Cheap,  and  going  to  a  clothier's  was  able 
to  purchase  ready-made  garments  suitable  to  his  new 
position  as  a  'prentice  boy.  Returning  with  these,  he 
bade  the  lad  mount  to  the  room  which  he  was  to  share 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  59 

\vith  Jacob,  to  change  with  all  speed,  and  to  come  down 
to  dinner,  which  was  now  nearly  ready. 

The  meal  was  to  Harry  a  curious  one.  The  merchant 
sat  at  one  end  of  the  table,  his  wife  at  the  other.  The 
scrivener  occupied  a  place  on  one  side,  and  his  fellow- 
apprentice  and  himself  on  the  other.  The  merchant, 
spoke  to  his  wife  on  the  troubles  of  the  times  in  a  grave, 
oracular  voice,  which  appeared  to  be  intended  chiefly 
for  the  edification  of  his  three  assistants,  who  ate  their 
dinner  in  silence,  only  saying  a  word  or  two  in  answer  to 
any  question  addressed  to  them.  Harry,  who  was  accus- 
tomed to  dine  with  his  father,  was  somewhat  nice  in  his 
Avays  of  eating.  But,  observing  a  sudden  look  of  interest 
and  suspicion  upon  the  face  of  the  sharp  boy  beside  him 
at  his  manner  of  eating,  he,  without  making  so  sudden 
a  change  as  to  be  perceptible,  gradually  fell  into  the  way 
of  eating  of  his  companion,  mentally  blaming  himself 
severely  for  having  for  a  moment  forgotten  his  assumed 
part. 

"I  shall  not  need  you  this  afternoon,  Roger,"  the 
merchant  said;  "and  you  can  go  out  and  view  the  sights 
of  the  city.  Avoid  getting  into  any  quarrels  or  broils, 
and  especially  observe  the  names  writ  up  on  the  corner 
of  the  houses,  in  order  that  you  may  learn  the  streets 
and  so  be  able  to  find  your  way  about  should  I  send  you 
with  messages  or  goods." 

Harry  spent  the  afternoon  as  directed,  and  was 
mightily  amused  and  entertained  by  the  sights  which  he 
witnessed.  Especially  was  he  interested  in  London 
Bridge,  which,  covered  closely  with  houses,  stretched 
across  the  river,  and  at  the  great  fleet  of  vessels  which 
lay  moored  to  the  wharves  below.  Here  Harry  spent 
the  greater  portion  of  the  afternoon,  watching  the 
numerous  boats  as  they  shot  the  bridge,  and  the  barges 
-eceiving  merchandise  from  the  vessels. 


60  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

At  five  o'clock  the  shop  was  shut,  and  at  six  supper 
v7as  served  in  the  same  order  as  dinner  had  been.  At 
eight  they  retired  to  bed. 

"Well,  Master  Roger,"  said  Jacob,  when  they  were 
alone,  "and  what  is  thy  father?" 

"He  farms  a  piece  of  land  of  his  own,"  Harry  said. 
"Sometimes  I  live  with  him;  but  more  often  with  my 
uncle,  who  is  a  trader  in  Bristol — a  man  of  some  wealth, 
and  much  respected  by  the  citizens." 

"Ah!  it  is  there  that  thou  hast  learnt  thy  tricks  of 
eating,"  Jacob  said.  "I  wondered  to  see  thee  handle 
thy  knife  and  fork  so  daintily,  and  in  a  manner  which 
4ssuredly  smacked  of  the  city  rather  than  of  the  farm." 

"My  uncle,"  Harry  said,  "is  a  particular  man  as  to 
his  habits,  and  as  many  leading  citizens  of  the  town 
often  take  their  meals  at  his  house,  he  was  ever  worry- 
ing me  to  behave,  as  he  said,  more  like  a  Christian  than 
a  hog.  What  a  town  is  this  London!  What  heaps  of 
people,  and  what  wonderful  sights!" 

"Yes,"  the  apprentice  said  carelessly.  "But  you 
have  as  yet  seen  nothing.  You  should  see  the  giant  with 
«ight  heads,  at  the  Guildhall." 

"A  giant  with  eight  heads?"  Henry  exclaimed  won- 
deringly.  "Why,  he  have  five  more  than  the  giant 
whom  my  mother  told  me  of  when  I  was  little,  that  was 
killed  by  Jack,  the  Giant  Killer.  I  must  go  and  see 
him  of  a  surety." 

"You  must  mind,"  the  apprentice  said;  "for  a  boy  is 
served  up  for  him  every  morning  for  breakfast." 

"Now  you  are  trying  to  fool  me,"  Harry  said.  "My 
mother  warned  me  that  the  boys  of  London  were  wickedly 
disposed,  and  given  to  mock  at  strangers.  But  I  tell 
thee,  Master  Jacob,  that  I  have  a  heavy  fist,  and  was 
considered  a  fighter  in  the  village.  Therefore,  mind 
how  thou  triest  to  fool  me.  Mother  always  said  I  was 
not  such  a  fool  as  I  looked." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  61 

"You  may  well  be  that/'  Jacob  said,  "and  yet  a  very 
big  fool.  But  at  present  I  do  not  know  whether  your 
folly  is  more  than  skin  deep,  and  methinks  that  the  re-, 
spectable  trader,  your  uncle,  has  taught  you  more  than 
how  to  eat  like  a  Christian." 

Harry  felt  at  once  that  in  this  sharp  boy  he  had  a 
critic  far  more  dangerous  than  any  he  was  likely  to  meet 
elsewhere.  Others  would  pass  him  unnoticed;  but  his 
fellow-apprentice  would  criticise  every  act  and  word^ 
and  he  felt  somewhat  disquieted  to  find  that  he  had 
fallen  under  such  supervision.  It  was  now,  he  felt,  all- 
important  for  him  to  discover  what  were  the  real  senti- 
ments of  the  boy,  and  whether  he  was  trustworthy  to 
his  master,  and  to  be  relied  upon  to  keep  the  secret 
which  had  fallen  into  his  possession. 

"I  have  been,"  he  said,  in  the  big  church  at  the  end 
of  this  street.  What  a  pother  the  preachers  do  surely 
keep  up  there.  I  should  be  sorely  worried  to  hear  them 
long,  and  would  rather  thrash  out  a  load  of  corn  than 
listen  long  to  the  clacking  of  their  tongues." 

"Thou  wilt  be  sicker  still  of  them  before  thou  hast  done 
with  them.  It  is  one  of  the  duties  of  us  apprentices  to 
listen  to  the  teachers,  and  if  I  had  my  way,  we  would 
have  an  apprentices'  riot,  and  demand  to  be  kept  to  the 
terms  of  our  indentures,  which  say  nothing  about 
preachers.  What  is  the  way  of  thinking  of  this  uncle  of 
yours?" 

"He  is  a  prudent  man,"  Roger  said,  "and  says  but 
little.  For  myself,  I  care  nothing  either  way,  and  can- 
not understand  what  they  are  making  this  pother  about. 
So  far  as  I  can  see,  folks  only  want  to  be  quiet,  and  do 
their  work.  But  even  in  our  village  at  home  there  is 
no  quiet  now.  Some  are  one  way,  some  t'other.  There 
are  the  Church  folk,  and  the  meeting-house  folk,  and  it 
is  as  much  as  they  can  do  to  keep  themselves  from  going 


Q2  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

at  each  other's  throats.  I  hear  so  much  about  it  that  my 
brain  gets  stupid  with  it  all,  and  I  hate  Parliament  and 
king  worse  than  the  schoolmaster  who  used  to  whack  me 
for  never  knowing  the  difference  between  one  letter  and 
another." 

"But  you  can  read  and  write,  I  suppose?"  Jacob  said; 
"or  you  would  be  of  little  use  as  an  apprentice." 

"Yes,  I  can  read  and  write,"  Roger  said;  "but  I  can- 
not say  that  I  love  these  things.  I  doubt  me  that  I  am 
not  fitter  for  the  plow  than  for  a  trade.  But  my  Aunt 
Marjory  was  forever  going  on  about  my  coming  to  Lon- 
don, and  entering  the  shop  of  Master  Nicholas  Fleming, 
and  as  it  seemed  an  easy  thing  to  sell  yards  of  silks  and 
velvets,  I  did  not  stand  against  her  wishes,  especially  as 
she  promised  that  if  in  a  year's  time  I  did  not  like  the 
life,  she  would  ask  Master  Nicholas  to  cancel  my  inden- 
tures, and  let  me  go  back  again  to  the  farm." 

"Ah,  well,"  Jacob  said,  "it  is  useful  to  have  an  aunt 
who  has  been  nurse  to  a  city  merchant.  The  life  is  not 
a  bad  one,  though  our  master  is  strict  with  all.  But 
Dame  Alice  is  a  good  housewife,  and  has  a  light  hand  at 
confections,  and  when  there  are  good  things  on  the 
table  she  does  not,  as  do  most  of  the  wives  of  the  traders, 
keep  them  for  herself  and  her  husband,  but  lets  us 
have  a  share  also." 

"I  am  fond  of  confections,"  Harry  said;  "and  my 
Aunt  Marjory  is  famous  at  them;  and  now,  as  I  am  very 
sleepy,  I  will  go  off.  But  methinks,  Jacob,  that  you 
take  up  hugely  more  than  your  share  of  the  bed." 

After  a  little  grumbling  on  both  sides  the  boys  dis- 
posed themselves  to  sleep,  each  wondering  somewhat 
over  the  character  of  the  other,  and  determining  to  make 
a  better  acquaintance  shortly. 


FRIENDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  63 


CHAPTER    VL 

A    NARROW    ESCAPE. 

DURING  the  next  few  days  Harry  was  kept  hard  at 
work,  delivering  the  various  minute  documents  which 
he  had  hrought  in  the  hollow  of  his  stick.  Sometimes 
of  an  evening  he  attended  his  master  to  the  houses  where 
he  had  taken  such  messages,  and  once  or  twice  was  called 
in  to  be  present  at  discussions,  and  asked  to  explain 
various  matters  connected  with  the  position  of  the  king. 
During  this  time  he  saw  but  little  of  the  apprentice 
Jacob,  except  at  his  meals,  and  as  the  boy  did  not  touch 
upon  his  frequent  absence,  or  make  any  allusion  to  polit- 
ical matters,  when  in  their  bedroom  alone  at  night, 
Harry  hoped  that  his  suspicions  had  been  allayed. 

One  morning,  however,  on  waking  up,  he  saw  the  boy 
sitting  upright  in  bed,  staring  fixedly  at  him. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Jacob,  and  what  are  you  doing?" 

"I  am  wondering  who  and  what  you  are!"  the  boy 
said. 

"I  am  Roger,  your  fellow  apprentice/'  Harry  replied., 
laughing. 

"I  am  not  sure  that  you  are  Roger;  I  am  not  sure 
that  you  are  an  apprentice,"  the  boy  said.  "But  if  you 
were,  that  would  not  tell  me  who  you  are.  If  you  were 
merely  Roger  the  apprentice,  Dame  Alice  would  not  pick 
out  all  the  tit-bits  at  dinner,  and  put  them  on  your 
plate,  while  I  and  Master  Hardwood  have  to  put  up 


64  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 

with  any  scraps  which  may  come.  Nor  do  I  think  that, 
•even  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  his  cloak,  our  master 
would  take  y«n  with  him  constantly  of  an  evening.  He 
seems  mighty  anxious  too,  for  you  to  learn  your  way 
about  London.  I  do  not  remember  that  he  showed  any 
such  care  as  to  my  geographical  knowledge.  But,  of 
course,  there  is  a  mystery,  and  I  want  to  get  to  the  bot- 
tom of  it,  and  mean  to  do  so  if  I  can." 

"Even  supposing  that  there  was  a  mystery,"  Harry 
said,  "what  good  would  it  do  to  yon  to  learn  it,  and 
what  use  would  you  make  of  your  knowledge?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  the  boy  said  carelessly.  "But 
knowledge  is  power." 

"You  see,"  Harry  said,  "that  supposing  there  were, 
as  you  say,  a  mystery,  the  secret  would  not  be  mine  to 
tell,  and  even  were  it  so  before  I  told  it,  I  should  want 
to  know  whether  you  desired  to  know  it  for  the  sake  of 
aiding  your  master,  if  possible,  or  of  doing  him  an 
injury. 

"I  would  do  him  no  injury,  assuredly,"  Jacob  said. 
"Master  Fleming  is  as  good  a  master  as  there  is  in  Lon- 
don. I  want  to  find  out,  because  it  is  my  nature  to  find 
out.  The  mere  fact  that  there  is  a  mystery  excites  my 
curiosity,  and  compels  me  to  do  all  in  my  power  to  get 
to  the  bottom  of  it.  Methinks  that  if  you  have  aught 
that  you  do  not  want  known,  it  would  be  better  to  take 
Jacob  Plummer  into  your  confidence.  Many  a  man's 
head  has  been  lost  before  now  because  he  did  not  know 
whom  to  trust." 

"There  is  no  question  of  losing  heads  in  the  matter," 
Harry  said,  smiling. 

"Well,  you  know  best,"  Jacob  replied,  shrugging  his 
shoulders;  "but  heads  do  not  seem  very  firmly  on  at 
present." 

When  he  went  out  with  Master  Fleming  that  evening 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  65 

Harry  related  to  him  the  conversation  which  he  had  had 
with  Jacob. 

"What  think  you,  Master  Furness?  Is  this  malapert 
boy  to  be  trusted,  or  not?" 

"It  wore  difficult  to  say,  sir,"  Harry  answered.  "His 
suspicions  are  surely  roused,  and  as  it  seemed  to  me  that 
his  professions  of  affection  and  duty  toward  yourself 
were  earnest,  methinks  that  you  might  enlist  him  in 
your  cause,  and  would  find  him  serviceable  hereafter, 
did  you  allow  me  frankly  to  speak  to  him.  He  has 
friends  among  the  apprentice  boys,  and  might,  should 
he  be  mischievously  inclined,  set  one  to  follow  us  of  a 
night,  and  learn  whither  you  go;  he  might  even  now  do 
much  mischief.  I  think  that  it  is  his  nature  to  love 
plotting  for  its  own  sake.  He  would  rather  plot  on  your 
side  than  against  it;  but  if  you  will  not  have  him,  he 
may  go  against  you." 

"I  have  a  good  mind  to  send  him  home  to  his  friends," 
the  merchant  said.  "He  can  know  nothing  as  yet." 

"He  might  denounce  me  as  a  Royalist,"  H^^v  said; 
"and  you  for  harboring  me.  I  will  sound  him  again 
to-night,  and  see  further  into  his  intentions.  But 
methinks  it  would  be  best  to  trust  him." 

That  night  the  conversation  was  again  renewed. 

"You  see,  Jacob,"  Harry  said,  "that  it  would  be  a 
serious  matter,  supposing  what  you  think  to  be  true,  to 
intrust  you  with  the  secret.  I  know  not  whether  you 
are  disposed  toward  king  or  Parliament,  and  to  put  the 
lives  of  many  honorable  gentlemen  into  the  hands  of 
one  of  whose  real  disposition  I  know  little  would  be  but 
a  fool's  trick." 

"You  speak  fairly,  Roger,"  the  boy  said.  "Indeed, 
what  I  said  to  you  was  true.  I  trouble  my  head  in  no 
way  as  to  the  politics  and  squabbles  of  the  present  day; 
but  I  mean  to  rise  some  day,  and  there  is  no  better  way 


66  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

to  rise  than  to  be  mixed  up  in  a  plot.  It  is  true  that 
the  rise  may  be  to  the  gallows;  but  if  one  plays  for  high 
stakes,  one  must  risk  one's  purse.  I  love  excitement, 
and  believe  that  I  am  no  fool.  I  can  at  least  be  true  to 
the  side  that  I  engage  upon,  and  of  the  two,  would 
rather  take  that  of  the  king  than  of  the  Parl.ament, 
because  it  seems  to  me  that  there  are  more  fools  on  his 
side  than  on  the  other,  and  therefore  more  chance  for  a 
wise  head  to  prosper." 

Harry  laughed. 

"You  have  no  small  opinion  of  yourself,  Master 
Jacob." 

"No,"  the  boy  said;  I  always  found  myself  able  to 
hold  my  own.  My  father,  who  is  a  scrivener,  predicted 
me  that  I  should  either  come  to  wealth  or  be  hanged, 
and  I  am  of  the  same  opinion  myself." 

After  further  conversation  next  day  with  the  mer- 
chant, Harry  frankly  confided  to  Jacob  that  evening  that 
he  was  the  bearer  of  letters  from  the  king.  Of  their 
contents  he  said  that  he  knew  nothing;  but  had  reason 
to  believe  that  another  movement  was  on  foot  for  bring- 
ing about  the  overthrow  of  the  party  of  Puritans  who 
were  in  possession  of  the  government  of  London. 

"I  deemed  that  such  was  your  errand,"  the  boy  said. 
"You  placed  your  part  well;  but  not  well  enough.  You 
might  have  deceA, :  grown-up  people;  but  you  would 
hardly  take  in  a  boy  of  your  own  age.  Now  that  you 
have  told  me  frankly,  I  will,  if  I  can,  do  anything  to 
aid.  I  care  nothing  for  the  opinions  of  one  side  or  the 
other;  but  as  I  have  to  go  to  the  cathedral  three  times 
on  Sunday,  and  to  sit  each  time  for  two  hours  listening  to 
the  harangues  of  Master  Ezekiel  Proudfoot,  I  would 
gladly  join  in  anything  which  would  be  likely  to  end  by 
silencing  that  fellow  and  his  gang.  It  is  monstrous 
that,  upon  the  only  day  in  itie  week  we  hav«  to  our- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  67 

selves,  we  should  be  compelled  to  undergo  the  punish- 
ment of  listening  to  these  long-winded  divines." 

When  Harry  was  not  engaged  in  taking  notes,  back- 
ward and  forward,  between  the  merchant  and  those  with 
whom  he  was  negotiating,  he  was  occupied  in  the  shop. 
There  the  merchant  kept  up  appearances  before  the 
scrivener  and  any  customers  who  might  come  in,  by  in- 
structing him  in  the  mysteries  of  his  trade;  by  showing 
him  the  value  of  the  different  velvets  and  silks;  and  by 
teaching  him  his  private  marks,  by  which,  in  case  of  the 
absence  of  the  merchant  or  his  apprentice,  he  could  state 
the  price  of  any  article  to  a  trader  who  might  come  in. 
Harry  judged,  by  the  conversations  which  he  had  with 
his  host,  that  the  latter  was  not  sanguine  as  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  negotiations  which  he  was  carrying  on. 

"If,"  he  said,  "the  king  could  obtain  one  single  vic- 
tory, his  friends  would  raise  their  heads,  and  would 
assuredly  be  supported  by  the  great  majority  of  the 
population,  who  wish  only  for  peace;  but  so  long  as  the 
armies  stood  facing  each  other,  and  the  Puritans  are  all 
powerful  in  the  Parliament  and  Council  of  the  city,  men 
are  afraid  to  be  the  first  to  move,  not  being  sure  how 
popular  support  would  be  given." 

One  evening  after  work  was  over  Harry  and  Jacob 
walked  together  up  the  Cheap,  and  took  their  place 
among  a  crowd  listening  to  a  preacher  at  Paul's  Cross. 
He  was  evidently  a  popular  character,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  grave  men,  of  the  straitest  Puritan  appearance, 
were  gathered  round  him. 

"I  wish  we  could  play  some  trick  with  these  somber- 
looking  knaves,"  Jacob  whispered. 

"Yes,"  Harry  said;  "I  would  give  much  to  be  able  to 
do  so;  but  at  the  present  moment  I  scarcely  wish  to 
draw  attention  upon  myself." 

"Let  us  get  out  of  this,  then."  Jacob  said,  "if  there 


68  FRIENDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

is  no  fun  to  be  had.  I  am  sick  of  these  long-winded 
orations." 

They  turned  to  go,  and  as  they  made  their  way 
through  the  crowd,  Harry  trod  upon  the  toe  of  a  small 
man  in  a  high  steeple  hat  and  black  coat. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  Harry  said,  as  there  burst  from 
the  lips  of  the  little  man  an  exclamation  which  was 
somewhat  less  decorous  than  would  have  been  expected 
from  a  personage  so  gravely  clad.  The  little  man  stared 
Harry  in  the  face,  and  uttered  another  exclamation,  this 
time  of  surprise.  Harry,  to  his  dismay,  saw  that  the 
man  with  whom  he  had  come  in  contact  was  the  preacher 
whom  he  had  left  gagged  on  the  guardroom  bed  at 
Westminster. 

"A  traitor!  A  spy!"  shouted  the  preacher,  at  the  top 
of  his  voice,  seizing  Harry  by  the  doublet.  The  latter 
shook  himself  free  just  as  Jacob,  jumping  in  the  air, 
brought  his  hand  down  with  all  his  force  on  the  top  of 
the  steeple  hat,  wedging  it  over  the  eyes  of  the  little 
man.  Before  any  further  effort  could  be  made  to  seize 
them,  the  two  lads  dived  through  the  crowd,  and  dashed 
down  a  lane  leading  toward  the  river. 

This  sudden  interruption  to  the  service  caused  con- 
siderable excitement,  and  the  little  preacher,  on  being 
extricated  from  his  hat,  furiously  proclaimed  that  the 
lad  he  had  seized,  dressed  as  an  apprentice,  was  a  malig- 
nant, who  had  been  taken  prisoner  at  Brentford,  and 
who  had  foully  ill-treated  him  in  a  cell  in  the  guard- 
room at  Finsbury.  Instantly  a  number  of  men  set  off  in 
pursuit. 

"What  had  we  best  do,  Jacob?"  Harry  said,  as  he 
heard  the  clattering  of  feet  behind  them. 

"We  had  best  jump  into  a  boat,"  Jacob  said,  "and 
row  for  it.  It  is  dark  now,  and  we  shall  soon  be  out  of 
their  sight. " 


.,»..— ^.... _      *:*  j.'J-^J  i  n,!r.'i  I1l,f.>  .V:.-^    flffeU   ;nJv« 


THE  APPRENTICES  AMONG  THE  PREACHERS.— Page  68. 


F.  though  D  } 


FRIENDS,  TROUGH  DIVIDED.  69 

At  the  bottom  of  the  lane  were  some  stairs,  and  at 
these  a  number  of  boats.  As  it  was  late  in  the  evening, 
and  the  night  a  foul  one,  the  watermen,  not  anticipating 
fares,  had  left,  and  the  boys,  leaping  into  a  boat,  put 
out  the  sculls,  and  rowed  into  the  stream,  just  as  their 
pursuers  were  heard  coming  down  the  lane. 

"Which  way  shall  we  go?"  Harry  said. 

"We  had  better  shoot  the  bridge,"  Jacob  replied. 
"Canst  row  well?" 

"Yes,"  Harry  said;  "I  have  practiced  at  Abingdon 
with  an  oar." 

"Then  take  the  sculls,"  Jacob  said,  "and  I  will  steer. 
It  is  a  risky  matter  going  through  the  bridge,  I  tell  you, 
at  half  tide.  Sit  steady,  whatever  you  do.  Here  they 
come  in  pursuit,  Roger.  Bend  to  the  sculls,"  and  in  a 
couple  of  minutes  they  reached  the  bridge. 

"Steady,  steady,"  shouted  Jacob,  as  the  boat  shot  a 
fall,  some  eight  feet  in  depth,  with  the  rapidity  of  an 
arrow.  For  a  moment  it  was  tossed  and  whirled  about 
in  the  seething  waves  below,  and  then,  thanks  to  Jacob's 
presence  of  mind  and  Harry's  obedience  to  his  orders, 
it  emerged  safely  into  the  smooth  water  below  the  bridge. 
Harry  now  gave  up  one  of  the  sculls  to  Jacob,  and  the 
two  boys  rowed  hard  down  the  stream. 

"Will  they  follow,  think  you?"  Harry  said. 

"I  don't  think,"  Jacob  laughed,  "that  any  of  those 
black-coated  gentry  will  care  for  shooting  the  bridge. 
They  will  run  down  below,  and  take  boat  there;  and  as 
there  are  sure  to  be  hands  waiting  to  carry  fares  out  to  the 
ships  in  the  pool,  they  will  gain  fast  upon  us  when  once 
they  are  under  way." 

The  wind  was  blowing  briskly  with  them,  and  the  tide 
running  strong,  and  at  a  great  pace  they  passed  the 
ships  lying  at  anchor. 

"There  is  the  Tower,"  Jacob  said;  "with  whose  inside 


70  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

we  may  shance  to  make  acquaintance,  if  we  are  caught. 
Look,"  he  said,  ' 'there  is  a  boat  behind  us,  rowed  by 
four  oars!  I  fear  that  it  is  our  pursuers." 

"Had  we  not  better  land,  and  take  our  chance?" 
Harry  said. 

"We  might  have  done  so  at  first,"  Jacob  said;  "it  is 
too  late  now.  We  must  row  for  it.  Look,"  he  con- 
tinued, "there  is  a  bark  coming  along  after  the  boat. 
She  has  got  her  sails  up  already,  and  the  wind  is  bring- 
ing her  along  grandly.  She  sails  faster  than  they  row, 
and  if  she  comes  up  to  us  before  they  overtake  us,  it  may 
be  that  the  captain  will  take  us  in  tow.  These  sea-dogs 
are  always  kindly." 

The  boat  that  the  boys  had  seized  was,  fortunately,  a 
very  light  and  fast  one,  while  that  in  pursuit  was  large 
and  heavy,  and  the  four  watermen  had  to  carry  six  sit- 
ters. Consequently,  they  gained  but  very  slowly  upon 
the  fugitives.  Presently  a  shot  from  a  pistol  whizzed 
over  the  boys'  heads. 

"I  did  not  bargain  for  this,  friend  Roger,"  Jacob  said. 
"My  head  is  made  rather  for  plots  and  conspiracies  than 
for  withstanding  the  contact  of  lead." 

"Row  awayl"  Harry  said.  "Here  is  the  ship  just 
alongside  now." 

As  the  vessel,  which  was  a  coaster,  came  along,  the 
crew  looked  over  the  side,  their  attention  being  called 
by  the  sound  of  the  pistol  and  the  shouts  of  those  in. 
chase. 

"Throw  us  a  rope,  sir,"  Jacob  shouted.  "We  are  not 
malefactors,  but  have  been  up  to  a  boyish  freak,  and 
shall  be  heavily  punished  if  we  are  caught." 

Again  the  pistol  rang  out  behind,  and  one  of  the 
sailors  threw  a  rope  to  the  boys.  It  was  caught,  and  in 
»  minute  the  boat  was  gliding  rapidly  along  in  the  wake 
of  the  ship.  She  was  then  pulled  up  alongside,  the  boys 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  71 

clambered  on  board,  and  the  boat  was  sent  adrift-  The 
pursuers  continued  the  chase  for  a  few  minutes  longer, 
but  seeing  the  ship  gradually  drawing  away  from  them, 
they  desisted,  and  turned  in  toward  shore. 

"And  who  are  you?"  the  captain  of  the  brig  said. 

"We  are  apprentices,  as  you  see,"  Jacob  said.  "We 
were  listening  to  some  preaching  at  Paul's  Cross.  In 
trying  to  get  out  from  the  throng — being  at  length  weary 
of  the  long-winded  talk  of  the  preacher — we  trod  upon 
the  feet  of  a  worthy  divine.  He,  refusing  to  receive  our 
apologies,  took  the  matter  roughly,  and  seeing  that  the 
crowd  of  Puritans  around  were  going  to  treat  us  as 
malignant  roisterers,  we  took  the  liberty  of  driving  the 
hat  of  our  assailant  over  his  eyes,  and  bolting.  As- 
suredly, had  we  been  caught,  we  should  have  been  put 
in  the  stocks  and  whipped,  even  if  worse  pains  and 
penalties  had  not  befallen  us,  for  ill-treatment  of  one  of 
those  who  are  now  the  masters  of  London." 

"It  was  a  foolish  freak,"  the  captain  said,  "and  in  these 
days  such  freaks  are  treated  as  crimes.  It  is  well  that  I 
came  along.  What  do  you  purpose  to  do  now?" 

"We  would  fain  be  put  ashore,  sir,  somewhere  in 
Kent,  so  that  we  may  make  our  way  back  again.  Our 
figures  could  not  have  been  observed  beyond  that  we 
were  apprentices,  and  we  can  enter  the  city  quietly, 
without  fear  of  detection." 

The  wind  dropped  in  the  evening,  and,  the  tide  turn- 
ing, the  captain  brought  to  anchor.  In  the  morning  he 
sailed  forward  again.  When  he  neared  Gravesend  he 
saw  a  vessel  lying  in  the  stream. 

"That  is  a  Parliament  ship,"  he  said. 

At  that  moment  another  vessel  of  about  the  same  size 
as  that  in  which  they  were  was  passing  her.  She  iired  a 
gun,  and  the  ship  at  once  dropped  her  sails  and  brought 
up. 


72  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"What  can  she  be  doing  now,  arresting  the  passage  of 
ships  on  their  way  down?  If  your  crime  had  been  a 
serious  one,  I  should  have  thought  that  a  message  must 
have  been  brought  down  in  the  night  for  her  to  search 
vessels  coming  down  stream  for  the  persons  of  fugitives, 
What  say  you,  lads?  Have  you  told  me  the  truth?" 

"We  have  told  you  the  truth,  sir/'  Harry  said;  "but 
not  the  whole  truth.  The  circumstances  are  exactly  as 
my  friend  related  them.  But  he  omitted  to  say  that  the 
preacher  recognized  in  me  one  of  a  Cavalier  family,  and 
that  they  may  suspect  that  I  was  in  London  on  business 
of  the  king's." 

"Is  that  so?"  the  captain  said.  "In  that  case,  your 
position  is  a  perilous  one.  It  is  clear  that  they  do  not 
know  the  name  of  the  ship  in  which  you  are  embarked, 
or  they  would  not  have  stopped  the  one  which  we  see 
far  ahead.  If  they  search  the  ship,  they  are  sure  to  find 
you." 

"Can  you  swim,  Jacob?"  Harry  asked  the  other. 

He  nodded. 

"There  is  a  point,'*  Harry  said,  "between  this  and 
the  vessel  of  war,  and  if  you  sail  close  to  that  you  will 
for  a  minute  or  two  be  hidden  from  the  view  of  those  on 
her  deck.  If  you  will  take  your  ship  close  to  that 
corner  we  will  jump  overboard  and  swim  on  shore.  If 
then  your  vessel  is  stopped  you  can  well  say  that  you 
have  no  fugitives  on  board,  and  let  them  search." 

The  captain  thought  the  plan  a  good  one,  and  at  once 
the  vessel's  head  was  steered  over  toward  the'  side  to 
which  Harry  had  pointed.  As  they  neared  the  corner 
they  for  a  minute  lost  sight  of  the  hull  of  the  man-of- 
war,  and  the  boys,  with  a  word  of  thanks  and  farewell  to 
the  captain,  plunged  over  and  swam  to  the  bank,  which 
was,  but  some  thirty  yards  away.  Climbing  it,  they  lay 
down  among  the  grass,  and  watched  the  progress  of  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  73 

vessel.  She,  like  the  one  before,  was  brought  up  by  a 
gun  from  the  man-of-war,  and  a  boat  from  the  latter  put 
out  and  remained  by  her  side  for  half  an  hour.  Then 
they  saw  the  boat  return,  the  vessel  hoist  her  sails  again, 
and  go  on  her  way. 

"This  is  a  nice  position  into  which  you  have  brought 
rne,  Master  Roger,"  Jacob  said.  "My  first  step  in  tak- 
ing part  in  plots  and  conspiracies  does  not  appear  to  me 
to  lead  to  the  end  which  I  looked  for.  However,  I  am 
sick  of  the  shop,  and  shall  be  glad  of  a  turn  of  freedom. 
Now  let  us  make  our  way  across  the  marshes  to  the  high 
land.  It  is  but  twenty  miles  to  walk  to  London,  if  that 
be  really  your  intent/' 

"I  shall  not  return  to  London  myself,"  Harry  said, 
"but  shall  make  my  way  back  to  Oxford.  It  would  be 
dangerous  now  for  me  to  appear,  and  I  doubt  not  that  a 
sharp  hue  and  cry  will  be  kept  up.  In  your  case  it  is 
different,  for  as  you  have  been  long  an  apprentice,  ar-d 
as  your  face  will  be  entirely  unknown  to  any  of  them, 
there  will  be  little  chance  of  your  being  detected." 

"I  would  much  rather  go  with  you  to  Oxford,"  the 
lad  said.  "I  am  weary  of  velvets  and  silks,  and  though 
I  do  not  know  that  wars  and  battles  will  be  more  to  my 
taste,  I  would  fain  try  them  also.  You  are  a  gentleman, 
and  high  in  the  trust  of  the  king  and  those  around  him. 
If  you  will  take  me  with  you  as  your  servant  I  will  be  a 
faithful  knave  to  you,  and  doubt  not  that  as  you  profit 
by  your  advantages,  some  of  the  good  will  fall  to  my 
share  also." 

"In  faith,"  Harry  said,  "I  should  hardly  like  you  to 
be  my  servant,  Jacob,  although  I  have  no  other  office  to 
bestow  at  present.  But  if  you  come  with  me  you  shall 
be  rather  in  the  light  of  a  major-domo,  though  I  have 
no  establishment  of  which  you  can  be  the  head.  In 
these  days,  however,  the  distinctions  of  master  and  serr. 


74  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

ant  are  less  broad  than  before,  and  in  the  field  we  shall 
be  companions  rather  than  master  and  follower.  So,  if 
you  like  to  cast  in  your  fortunes  with  mine,  here  is  my 
hand  on  it.  You  have  already  proved  your  friendship 
to  me  as  well  as  your  quickness  and  courage,  and  believe 
me,  you  will  not  find  me  or  my  father  ungrateful.  But 
for  you,  I  should  now  be  in  the  cells,  and  your  old  mas- 
ter in  no  slight  danger  of  finding  himself  in  prison,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  upset  of  the  negotiations  for  which  I 
came  to  London.  Therefore,  you  have  deserved  well, 
not  only  of  me,  but  of  the  king,  and  the  adventure  may 
not  turn  out  so  badly  as  it  has  begun.  We  had  best 
strike  south,  and  go  round  by  Tunbridge,  and  thence 
keeping  west,  into  Berkshire,  and  so  to  Oxford.  In 
this  way  we  shall  miss  the  Parliament  men  lying  round 
London,  and  those  facing  the  .Royalists  between  Read- 
ing and  Oxford." 

This  order  was  carried  out.  The  lads  met  with  but 
few  questioners,  and  replying  always  that  they  were 
London  apprentices  upon  their  way  home  to  visit  their 
friends  for  a  short  time,  passed  unsuspected.  At  first 
the  want  of  funds  had  troubled  them,  for  Harry  had  for- 
gotten the  money  sewn  up  in  his  shoe.  But  presently, 
remembering  this,  and  taking  two  gold  pieces  out  of 
their  hiding-place,  they  went  merrily  along  the  road  and 
in  five  days  from  starting  arrived  at  Oxford. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDHD.  75 


OHAPTBK  VIL 

IN     A     HOT     PLACE. 

MAKING  inquiries,  Harry  found  that  his  father  was 
living  at  a  house  in  the  college  of  Brazenose,  and  thither 
he  made  his  way.  Not  a  little  surprised  was  the  trooper, 
who  was  on  guard  before  the  door,  to  recognize  his  mas- 
ter's son  in  one  of  the  two  lads  who,  in  the  clothes  of 
apprentices  shrunk  with  water  and  stained  with  mud 
and  travel,  presented  themselves  before  him.  Harry 
ascended  at  once  to  Sir  Henry's  room,  and  the  latter  was 
delighted  to  see  him  again,  for  he  had  often  feared  that 
lie  had  acted  rashly  in  sending  him  to  London.  Harry 
briefly  told  his  adventures,  and  introduced  his  friend 
Jacob  to  his  father. 

Sir  Henry  immediately  sent  for  a  clothier,  and  Harry 
was  again  made  presentable;  while  a  suit  of  serviceable 
clothes  adapted  to  the  position  of  a  young  gentleman  of 
moderate  means  was  obtained  for  Jacob.  Then,  accom- 
panied by  his  son,  Sir  Henry  went  to  the  king's  cham- 
bers, and  informed  his  majesty  of  all  that  had  happened. 
As,  from  the  reports  which  had  reached  the  king  of  the 
temper  of  the  people  of  London,  he  had  but  small  hope 
that  anything  would  come  of  the  attempt  that  was  being 
made,  he  felt  but  little  disappointed  at  hearing  of  the 
sudden  return  of  his  emissary.  Harry  was  again  asked 
in,  and  his  majesty  in  a  few  words  expressed  to  him  his 
satisfaction  at  the  zeal  and  prudence  which  he  had 
shown,  and  at  his  safe  return  to  court. 


76  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

On  leaving  the  king  Harry  awaited  anxiously  T 
his  father  would  determine  concerning  his  future, 
was  delighted  when  Sir  Henry  said,  "It  is  now  a  year 
since  these  troubles  began,  Harry,  and  you  have  so  far 
embarked  upon  them,  that  I  fear  you  would  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  return  to  your  studies.  You  have  proved  your- 
self possessed  of  qualities  which  will  enable  you  to  make 
your  way  in  the  world,  and  I  therefore  think  the  time 
has  come  when  you  can  take  your  place  in  the  ranks.  I 
shall  ask  of  the  king  a  commission  for  you  as  captain  in 
my  regiment,  and  as  one  of  my  officers  has  been  killed 
yon  will  take  his  place,  and  will  have  the  command  of  a 
troop." 

Harry  was  delighted  at  this  intimation;  and  the  fol- 
lowing day  received  the  king's  commission. 

A  few  days  afterward  he  had  again  to  ride  over  to 
Furness  Hall,  which  was  now  shut  up,  to  collect  some 
rents,  and  as  he  returned  through  Abingdon  he  saw 
Lucy  Rippinghall  walking  in  the  streets.  Rather  proud 
of  his  attire  as  a  young  cavalier  in  full  arms,  Harry  dis- 
mounted and  courteously  saluted  her. 

"I  should  hardly  havo  known  you,  Master  Furness," 
she  said.  "You  look  so  fierce  in  your  iron  harness,  and 
so  gay  with  your  plumes  and  ribands.  My  brother 
would  be  glad  to  see  you.  My  father,  as  you  know,  is 
away.  Will  you  not  come  in  for  a  few  minutes?" 

Harry,  after  a  few  moments'  hesitation,  assented.  He 
longed  to  see  his  old  friend,  and  as  the  latter  was  still 
residing  at  Abingdon,  while  he  himself  had  already  made 
his  mark  in  the  royal  cause,  he  did  not  fear  that  any 
misconstruction  could  be  placed  upon  his  visit  to  the 
Puritan's  abode.  Herbert  received  him  with  a  glad 
smile  of  welcome. 

"Ah,  Harry,"  he  said,  "so  you  have  fairly  taken  to 
man's  estate.  Of  course,  I  think  you  have  done  wrong; 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  77 

but  we  need  not  argue  on  that  now.  I  am  glad  indeed 
to  see  you<  Lucy,"  he  said,  "let  supper  be  served  at 
once." 

It  was  a  pleasant  meal,  and  the  old  friends  chatted  of 
their  schooldays  and  boyish  pastimes,  no  allusion  being 
made  to  the  events  of  the  day,  save  that  Herbert  said, 
"I  suppose  that  you  know  that  my  father  is  now  a  cap- 
tain in  the  force  of  the  Commons,  and  that  I  am  doing 
my  best  to  keep  his  business  going  during  his  absence." 

"I  had  heard  as  much,"  Harry  answered.  "It  is  a 
heavy  weight  to  be  placed  on  your  shoulders,  Herbert." 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "I  am  growing  learned  in  wools,  and 
happily  the  business  is  not  falling  off  in  my  hands." 

It  was  characteristic  of  the  civil  war  in  England  that 
during  the  whole  time  of  its  existence  the  affairs  of  the 
country  went  on  as  usual.  Business  was  conducted,  life 
and  property  were  safe,  and  the  laws  were  enforced  just 
as  before.  The  judges  went  their  circuits  undisturbed 
by  the  turmoil  of  the  times,  acting  under  the  authority 
alike  of  the  Great  Seals  of  the  King  and  Parliament. 
Thus  evildoers  were  repressed,  crime  put  down,  and  the 
laws  of  the  land  administered  just  as  usual,  and  as  if  no 
hostile  armies  were  marching  and  fighting  on  the  fair 
fields  of  England.  In  most  countries  during  such 
troubled  times,  all  laws  have  been  at  an  end,  bands  of 
robbers  and  disbanded  soldiers  have  pillaged  and  ruined 
the  country,  person  and  property  alike  have  been  unsafe, 
private  broils  and  enmities  have  broken  forth,  and  each 
man  has  carried  his  life  in  his  hand.  Thus,  even  in 
Abingdon,  standing  as  it  did  halfway  between  the 
stronghold  of  the  crown  at  Oxford,  and  the  Parliament 
army  at  Beading,  things  remained  quiet  and  tranquil. 
Its  fairs  and  markets  were  held  as  usual,  and  the  course 
of  business  went  on  unchecked. 

On  his  return  to  Oxford  Harry  learned  that  the  king, 


78  ISIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 


a  portion  of  the  army,  was  to  set  out  at  once  for 
Gloucester,  to  compel  that  city,  which  had  declared  for 
the  Commons,  to  open  its  gates.  With  a  force  of  thirteen 
thousand  men  the  king  moved  upon  Gloucester.  When 
he  arrived  outside  its  walls,  on  the  10th  of  August,  he 
sent  a  summons  to  the  town  to  surrender,  offering  par- 
don to  the  inhabitants,  and  demanding  an  answer  within 
two  hours.  Clarendon  has  described  how  the  answer 
was  returned.  "Within  less  than  the  time  described, 
together  with  a  trumpeter,  returned  two  citizens  from 
the  town  with  lean,  pale,  sharp,  and  bad  visages,  indeed, 
laces  so  strange  and  unusual,  and  in  such  a  garb  and 
posture,  that  at  once  made  the  most  severe  countenances 
merry,  and  the  most  cheerful  heart  sad,  for  it  was  impos- 
sible such  ambassadors  could  bring  less  than  a  defiance. 
The  men,  without  any  circumstance  of  duty  or  good 
manners,  in  a  pert,  shrill,  undismayed  accent,  said  that 
they  brought  an  answer  from  the  godly  city  of  Glouces- 
ter to  the  king,  and  were  so  ready  to  give  insolent  and 
seditious  answers  to  any  questions,  as  if  their  business 
were  chiefly  to  provoke  the  king  to  violate  his  own  safe- 
oonduct."  The  answers  which  these  strange  messengers 
brought  was  that  the  inhabitants  and  soldiers  kept  the 
city  for  the  use  of  his  majesty,  but  conceived  themselves 
"only  bound  to  obey  the  commands  of  his  majesty  signi- 
fied by  both  houses  of  Parliament."  Setting  fire  to  the 
houses  outside  their  walls,  the  men  of  Gloucester  pre- 
pared for  a  resolute  resistance.  The  walls  were  strong 
and  well  defended,  and  the  king  did  not  possess  artillery 
sufficient  to  make  breaches  therein,  and  dreading  the 
.great  loss  which  an  assault  upon  the  walls  would  inflict 
upon  his  army,  he  determined  to  starve  the  city  into 
submission.  The  inhabitants,  although  reduced  to  sora 
straits,  yet  relying  upon  assistance  coming  to  them,  heli 
<mt,  and  their  hopes  were  not  disappointed,  as  Essex,  at 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  79 

the  head  of  a  great  army,  was  sent  from  London  to  re- 
lieve the  place.  Upon  his  approach,  the  king  and  his 
councilors,  deciding  that  a  battle  could  not  he  fought 
with  advantage,  drew  off  from  the  town,  and  gave  up 
the  siege. 

Both  armies  now  moved  in  the  direction  of  London; 
but  Prince  Rupert,  hearing  that  a  small  body  of  Parlia- 
ment horse  were  besieging  the  house  of  Sir  James 
Strangford,  an  adherent  of  the  crown,  took  with  him 
fifty  horse,  and  rode  away  to  raise  the  siege,  being  ever 
fend  of  dashing  exploits  in  the  fashion  of  the  knights  of 
old.  The  body  which  he  chose  to  accompany  him  was 
the  troop  commanded  by  Harry  Furness,  whose  gayety 
of  manner  and  lightness  of  heart  had  rendered  him  a 
favorite  with  the  prince.  The  besieged  house  was  situ- 
ated near  Hereford;  and  at  the  end  of  a  long  day's  march 
Prince  Rupert,  coming  in  sight  of  the  Roundheads, 
charged  them  with  such  fury  that  they  were  overthrown 
with  scarce  any  resistance,  and  fled  in  all  directions. 
Having  effected  his  object,  the  prince  now  rode  to 
Worcester,  where  he  slept,  and  thence  by  a  long  day's 
march  to  a  village  where  he  again  halted  for  the  night. 

An  hour  after  his  arrival,  a  messenger  came  in  from 
Lady  Sidmouth,  the  wife  of  Sir  Henry  Sidmouth,  asking 
him  to  ride  over  and  take  up  his  abode  for  the  night  at 
her  house.  Bidding  Harry  accompany  him,  the  prince 
rode  off,  leaving  the  troop  under  the  charge  of  Harry's 
lieutenant,  Jacob,  who  had  proved  himself  an  active 
soldier,  and  had  been  appointed  to  that  rank  at  Glouces- 
ter. The  house  was  a  massive  structure  of  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.;  but  being  built  at  a  time  when  the  castel- 
lated abodes  were  going  out  of  fashion,  was  not  capable 
of  standing  a  siege,  and  had  not  indeed  been  put  in  any 
posture  of  defense.  Sir  Henry  was  with  the  king,  and 
only  a  few  retainers  remained  in  the  house.  Prince 


80  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Kupert  was  received  at  the  entrance  by  Lady  Sidmouthj 
\vho  had  at  her  side  her  daughter,  a  girl  of  fourteen, 
whom  Harry  thought  the  most  beautifuj  creature  he  had 
ever  seen.  The  prince  alighted,  and  doffing  his  broad 
plumed  hat,  kissed  the  lady's  hand,  and  conducted  her 
into  the  house  again,  Harry  doing  the  same  to  her 
daughter. 

"You  must  pardon  a  rough  reception,"  the  lady  said 
to  the  prince.  "Had  I  had  notice  of  your  coming,  I 
would  have  endeavored  to  receive  you  in  a  manner  more 
befitting;  but  hearing  from  one  of  my  retainers,  who 
happened  to  be  in  the  village  when  you  arrived,  of  your 
coming,  I  thought  that  the  accommodation — poor  as  it 
is — would  be  better  than  that  which  you  could  obtain 
there." 

Prince  Kupert  replied  gayly,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they 
were  seated  at  supper.  The  conversation  was  lightly 
kept  up,  when  suddenly  a  tremendous  crash  was  heard, 
shouts  of  alarm  were  raised,  and  a  retainer  rushed  into 
the  hall,  saying  that  the  place  was  attacked  by  a  force  of 
Roundheads. 

'•'Defense  is  hopeless,"  the  lady  said,  as  Prince  Rupert 
and  Harry  drew  their  swords.  "There  are  but  five  or 
six  old  men  here,  and  the  door  appears  to  be  already 
yielding.  There  is  a  secret  chamber  here  where  you  can 
defy  their  search." 

Prince  Rupert,  dreading  above  all  things  to  be  taken 
prisoner,  and  seeing  that  resistance  would  be,  as  their 
hostess  said,  vain,  followed  her  into  an  adjoining  room 
hung  with  arras.  Lifting  this,  she  showed  a  large  stone. 
Beneath  it,  on  the  floor  was  a  tile,  in  no  way  differing 
from  the  others.  She  pressed  it,  and  the.  stone,  which 
was  but  slight,  turned  on  a  hinge,  and  disclosed  an  iron 
door.  This  she  opened  with  a  spring,  showing  a  small 
room  within,  with  a  ladder  leading  to  another  above. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  81 

"Mount  that/' she  said.  "You  will  find  in  the  cham- 
ber above  a  large  stone.  Pull  the  ladder  up  with  you 
and  lower  the  stone,  which  exactly  fits  into  the  opening. 
Even  should  they  discover  this  chamber,  they  will  not 
suspect  that  another  lies  above  it." 

Prince  Rupert,  taking  a  light  from  her  hands,  hastily 
mounted,  followed  by  Harry,  and  pulled  the  steps  after 
him,  just  as  they  heard  the  iron  door  close.  It  needed 
the  united  strength  of  the  prince  and  Harry  to  lift  the 
stone,  which  was  a  large  one,  with  an  iron  ring  in  the 
center,  and  to  place  it  in  the  cavity.  Having  done  this, 
they  looked  round.  The  room  was  about  eight  feet  long 
by  six  wide,  and  lighted  by  a  long  narrow  loophole  ex- 
tending from  the  ground  to  the  roof.  They  deemed 
from  its  appearance  that  it  was  built  in  one  of  the  turrets 
of  the  building. 

"That  was  a  narrow  escape,  Master  Harry,"  the  prince 
said.  "It  would  have  been  right  bad  news  for  my  royal 
uncle  if  I  had  been  caught  here  like  a  rat  in  a  trap.  I 
wonder  we  heard  nothing  of  a  Roundhead  force  in  this 
neighborhood.  I  suppose  that  they  must  have  been 
stationed  at  some  place  further  north,  and  that  the  news 
of  our  passing  reached  them.  I  trust  that  they  have  no 
suspicion  that  we  are  in  the  house;  but  I  fear,  from  this 
sudden  attack  upon  an  undefended  building,  that  some 
spy  from  the  village  must  have  taken  word  to  them." 

Lady  Sidmouth  had  just  time  to  return  to  the  hall 
when  the  doors  gave  way,  and  a  body  of  Roundheads 
burst  into  the  room.  They  had  drawn  swords  in  their 
hands,  and  evidently  expected  an  attack.  They  looked 
round  with  surprise  at  seeing  only  Lady  Sidmouth  and 
her  daughter. 

"Where  is  the  malignant  Rupert?"  the  leader  ex- 
claimed. "We  have  sure  news  that  he  rode,  attended 
by  an  officer  only,  hither,  and  that  he  was  seen  to  enter 
your  house." 


82  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"If  you  want  Prince  Rupert,  you  must  find  him/'  the 
lady  said  calmly.  "I  say  not  that  he  has  not  been  here; 
but  I  tell  you  that  he  is  now  beyond  your  reach." 

"He  has  not  escaped/'  the  officer  said,  "for  the  house 
is  surrounded.  Now,  madam,  I  insist  upon  your  telling 
me  where  you  have  hidden  him." 

"I  have  already  told  you,  sir,  that  he  is  beyond  your 
reach,  and  nothing  that  you  can  do  will  wring  any 
further  explanation  from  me." 

The  officer  hesitated.  For  a  moment  he  advanced  a 
step  toward  her,  with  a  menacing  gesture.  But,  heated 
as  the  passions  of  men  were,  no  violence  was  done  to 
women,  and  with  a  fierce  exclamation  he  ordered  his 
troopers  to  search  the  house.  For  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
they  ransacked  it  high  and  low,  overturned  every  article 
of  furniture,  pulling  down  the  arras,  and  tapping  the 
walls  with  the  hilts  of  their  swords. 

"Take  these  two  ladies  away,"  he  said  to  his  lieuten- 
ant, "and  ride  with  them  at  once  to  Storton.  They  will 
have  to  answer  for  having  harbored  the  prince." 

The  ladies  were  immediately  taken  off,  placed  on  pil- 
lions behind  two  troopers,  and  carried  away  to  Storton. 
In  the  meantime  the  search  went  on,  and  presently  the 
hollow  sound  given  by  the  slab  in  the  wall  was  noticed. 
The  spring  could  not  be  discovered,  but  crowbars  and 
hammers  being  brought,  the  slab  of  stone  was  presently 
shivered.  The  discovery  of  the  iron  door  behind  it 
further  heightened  their  suspicion  that  the  place  of  con- 
cealment was  found.  The  door,  after  a  prolonged  resist- 
ance, was  battered  in.  But  the  Koundheads  were  filled 
with  fury,  on  entering,  to  discover  only  a  small,  bare 
cell,  with  no  signs  of  occupation  whatever.  The  search 
was  now  prolonged  in  other  directions;  but,  becoming 
convinced  that  it  was  useless,  and  that  the  place  of  con- 
cealment was  too  cunningly  devised  to  admit  of  discov- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  83 

ery,  the  captain  ordered  the  furniture  to  be  piled 
together,  and  setting  light  to  it  and  the  arras  in  several 
places,  withdrew  his  men  from  the  house,  saying  that  if 
a  rat  would  not  come  out  of  his  hole,  he  must  be  smoked 
in  it. 

The  prince  and  Harry  from  their  place  of  concealment 
had  heard  the  sound  of  blows  against  the  doors  below. 

"They  have  found  the  way  we  have  gone,"  the  prince 
said,  "but  1  think  not  that  their  scent  is  keen  enough  to 
trace  us  up  here.  If  they  do  so,  we  will  sell  our  lives 
dearly,  for  I  will  not  be  taken  prisoner,  and  sooner  or 
later  our  troop  will  hear  of  the  Roundheads'  attack,  and 
will  come  to  our  rescue." 

They  heard  the  fall  of  the  iron  door,  and  the  exclama- 
tions and  cries  with  which  the  Roundheads  broke  into 
the  room  below.  Then  faintly  they  heard  the  sound  of 
voices,  and  muffled  knocks,  as  they  tried  the  walls. 
Then  all  was  silent  again. 

"The  hounds  are  thrown  off  the  scent,"  the  prince 
said.  "It  will  need  a  clever  huntsman  to  put  them  on 
it.  What  will  they  do  next,  I  wonder?" 

Some  time  passed,  and  then  Harry  exclaimed: 

"I  perceive  a  smell  of  something  burning,  your  royal 
highness." 

"Peste!  methinks  I  do  also,"  the  prince  said.  "I  had 
not  thought  of  that.  If  these  rascals  have  set  fire  to  the 
place  we  shall  be  roasted  alive  here." 

A  slight  wreath  of  smoke  was  seen  curling  up  through 
the  crevice  of  the  tightly-fitting  stone. 

"We  will  leap  out,  and  die  sword  in  hand, "the  prince 
said;  and  seizing  the  ring,  he  and  Harry  pulled  at  it. 
Ere  they  raised  the  stone  an  inch,  a  volume  of  dense 
smoke  poured  up,  and  they  at  once  dropped  it  into  ita 
place  again,  feeling  that  their  retreat  was  cut  off.  The 
prince  put  his  sword  in  its  scabbard. 


84  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"We  must  die,  my  lad,"  he  said.  "A  strange  death, 
too,  to  be  roasted  in  a  trap.  But  after  all,  whether  by 
that  or  the  thrust  of  a  Roundhead  sword  makes  little 
difference  in  the  end.  I  would  fain  have  fallen  in  the 
field,  though." 

"Perhaps,"  Harry  suggested,  "the  fire  may  not  reach 
us  here.  The  walls  are  very  thick,  and  the  chamber 
below  is  empty." 

The  prince  shook  his  head. 

"The  heat  of  the  fire  in  a  house  like  this  will  crack 
stone  walls,"  he  said. 

He  then  took  off  his  cloak  and  threw  it  over  the  stone", 
pressing  it  down  tightly  to  prevent  the  smoke  from  curl- 
ing in.  Through  the  loophole  they  could  now  hear  a 
roar,  and  crackling  sounds,  and  a  sudden  glow  lit  up  the 
country. 

"The  flames  are  bursting  through  the  windows/' 
Harry  said.  "They  will  bring  our  troop  down  ere  long.''' 

"The  troop  will  do  us  no  good,"  Prince  Rupert  re- 
plied. "All  the  king's  army  could  not  rescue  us.  But 
at  least  it  would  be  a  satisfaction  before  we  die  to  see 
these  crop-eared  knaves  defeated." 

Minute  after  minute  passed,  and  a  broad  glare  of  light 
illumined  the  whole  country  round.  Through  the  slit 
they  could  see  the  Roundheads  keeping  guard  round 
the  house  in  readiness  to  cut  off  any  one  who  might  seek 
to  make  his  escape,  while  at  a  short  distance  off  they  had 
drawn  up  the  main  body  of  the  force.  Presently,  com- 
ing along  the  road  at  a  rapid  trot,  they  saw  a  body  of 
horse. 

"There  are  our  men,"  the  prince  exclaimed. 

The  Roundheads  had  seen  them  too.  A  trumpet  was- 
sounded,  and  the  men  on  guard  round  the  house  leaped 
to  their  horses,  and  joined  the  main  body,  just  as  the 
Cavaliers  charged  upon  them.  The  Roundheads  fought 


FRIENDS,^  THO  UGH  DIVIDED.  85 

stoutly;  but  the  charge  of  the  Cavaliers  was  irresistible. 
Furious  at  the  sight  of  the  house  in  flames,  and  ignorant 
of  the  fate  which  had  befallen  their  prince  and  their 
master's  son,  they  burst  upon  the  Eoundheads  with  a 
force  which  the  latter  were  unable  to  withstand.  For 
four  or  five  minutes  the  fight  continued,  and  then  such 
of  the  Roundheads  as  were  able  clapped  spurs  to  their 
horses  and  galloped  off,  hotly  pursued  by  the  Cavaliers. 
The  pursuit  was  a  short  one.  Several  of  the  Cavaliers 
were  gathered  at  the  spot  where  the  conflict  had  taken 
place,  and  were,  apparently,  questioning  a  wounded 
man.  Then  the  trumpeter  who  was  with  them  sounded 
the  recall,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Royalist  troops  came 
riding  back.  They  could  see  Jacob  pointing  to  the 
burning  building  and  gesticulating  with  his  arms.  Then 
a  party  dashed  up  to  the  house,  and  were  lost  to  sight. 

The  prince  and  Harry  both  shouted  at  the  top  of  their 
voices,  but  the  roar  of  the  flames  and  the  crash  of  falling 
beams  deadened  the  sound.  The  heat  had  by  this  time 
become  intense.  They  had  gradually  divested  them- 
selves of  their  clothing,  and  were  bathed  in  perspiration. 

"This  heat  is  terrific,"  Prince  Eupert  said.  "I  did 
not  think  the  human  frame  could  stand  so  great  a  heat« 
Methinks  that  water  would  boil  were  it  placed  here." 

This  was  indeed  the  case — the  human  frame,  as  is  now 
well  known,  being  capable  of  sustaining  a  heat  considera- 
bly above  that  of  boiling  water.  The  walls  were  now  so 
hot  that  the  hand  could  not  be  borne  upon  them  for  an 
instant. 

"My  feet  are  burning!"  the  prince  exclaimed. 
"Reach  down  that  ladder  from  the  wall." 

They  laid  the  ladder  on  the  ground  and  stood  upon  it, 
thus  avoiding  any  contact  with  the  hot  stone. 

"If  this  goes  on,"  Prince  Rupert  said,  with  a  laugh, 
u there  will  be  nothing  but  our  swords  left.  We  are 


86  FRIENDS,  TROUGH  DIVIDED. 

melting  away  fast,  like  candles  before  a  fire.  Truly  I 
do  not  think  that  there  was  so  much  water  in  a  man  as 
has  floated  down  from  me  during  the  last  half-hour." 

Harry  was  so  placed  that  he  could  command  a  sight 
through  the  loophole,  and  he  exclaimed,  "They  are  rid- 
ing away!" 

This  was  indeed  the  case.  The  whole  building  was 
now  one  vast  furnace,  and  having  from  the  first  no  hope 
that  their  friends,  if  there,  could  have  survived,  they 
had,  hearing  that  Lady  Sidmouth  and  her  daughter  had 
been  taken  to  Storton,  determined  to  ride  thither  to  take 
them  from  the  hands  of  the  Roundheads,  and  to  learn 
from  them  the  fate  of  their  leaders. 

Another  two  hours  passed.  The  heat  was  still  tre- 
mendous, but  they  could  not  feel  that  it  was  increasing. 
Once  or  twice  they  heard  terrific  crashes,  as  portions  of 
the  wall  fell.  They  would  long  since  have  been  roasted, 
were  it  not  for  the  cool  air  which  flowed  in  through  the 
long  loophole,  and  keeping  up  a  circulation  in  the  cham- 
ber, lowered  the  temperature  of  the  air  within  it.  At 
the  end  of  the  two  hours  Harry  gave  a  shout. 

"They  are  coming  back." 

The  light  had  now  sunk  to  a  quiet  red  glow,  so  that 
beyond  the  fact  that  a  party  was  approaching,  nothing 
could  be  seen.  They  rode,  however,  directly  toward  the 
turret,  and  then,  when  they  halted,  Harry  saw  the 
figures  of  two  ladies  who  were  pointing  toward  the  loop- 
hole. Harry  now  stepped  from  the  ladder  on  to  the 
floor  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice  through  the 
loophole.  The  reply  came  back  in  a  joyous  shout. 

"We  are  being  roasted  alive,"  Harry  cried.  "Get 
ladders  as  quickly  as  possible,  with  crowbars,  and  break 
down  the  wall." 

Men  were  seen  to  ride  off  in  several  directions  in- 
stantly, and  for  the  first  time  a  ray  of  hope  illumined 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  87 

the  minds  of  the  prince  and  Harry  that  they  might  be 
saved.  Half  an  hour  later  long  ladders  tied  together 
were  placed  against  the  wall,  and  Jacob  speedily  made 
his  appearance  at  the  loophole. 

"All  access  is  impossible  from  the  other  side/' he  said, 
"for  the  place  where  the  house  stood  is  a  red-hot  furnace. 
Most  of  the  walls  have  fallen.  We  had  no  hope  of  find- 
ing you  alive." 

"We  are  roasting  slowly,"  Harry  cried.  "In  Heaven's 
name  bring  us  some  water." 

Soon  a  bottle  of  water  was  passed  in  through  the  loop- 
hole, and  then  three  or  four  ladders  being  placed  in  posi- 
tion, the  men  outside  began  with  crowbars  and  pickaxes 
to  enlarge  the  loophole  sufficiently  for  the  prisoners  to 
escape.  It  took  three  hours'  hard  work,  at  the  end  of 
which  time  the  aperture  was  sufficiently  wide  to  allow 
them  to  emerge,  and  utterly  exhausted  and  feeling,  as 
the  prince  said,  "baked  to  a  turn,"  they  made  their  way 
down  the  ladder,  being  helped  on  either  side  by  the 
men,  for  they  themselves  were  too  exhausted  to  main- 
tain their  ieet. 


tit;  FB2WD8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE   DEFENSE  OF  AN   OUTPOST. 

THE  effect  of  the  fresh  air  and  of  cordials  poured  down 
their  throats  soon  restored  the  vigor  to  Prince  Rupert 
and  Harry  Furness.  They  were  still  weak,  for  the  great 
effort  which  nature  had  made  to  resist  the  force  of  the 
heat  during  those  long  hours  had  taxed  their  constitu- 
tions to  the  utmost. 

Lady  Sidmouth  was  rejoiced  indeed  to  find  them  alive, 
for  she  had  made  sure  that  they  were  lost.  It  was  not 
until  she  had  been  placed  in  a  room  strongly  barred, 
and  under  a  guard  at  Storton,  that  she  perceived  the 
Jight  arising  from  her  residence,  and  guessed  that  the 
men  of  the  Commons,  unable  to  find  the  hiding-plac*  of 
Prince  Rupert,  had  set  it  or  fire.  Then  she  had  knocked 
loudly  at  the  door;  but  the  sentry  had  given  no  answer 
either  to  that  or  to  her  entreaties  for  a  hearing.  She 
soon,  indeed,  desisted  from  her  efforts,  for  the  fire  which 
blazed  up  speedily  convinced  her  that  all  hope  was  gone. 
When  Jacob  and  the  Royalists  arrived,  driving  out  the 
small  remnant  of  the  Roundheads  who  remained  in  the 
village,  he  had  found  Lady  Sidmouth  and  her  daughter 
bathed  in  tears,  under  the  belief  that  their  guests  had 
perished  in  the  old  house  that  they  loved  so  well.  It 
was  with  no  hope  that  they  had  mounted  on  the  instant, 
and  ridden  at  full  gallop  to  the  castle,  and  it  was  not 
until  they  saw  that  that  wall  was  still  standing  that 
even  the  slightest  kope  entered  their  minds.  Even  then 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  89 

\t  appeared  incredible  that  any  one  could  be  alive,  and 
the  shout  from  the  loophole  had  surprised  almost  as 
much  as  it  had  delighted  them. 

In  the  course  of  three  or  four  hours,  refreshed  and 
strengthened  by  a  hearty  breakfast  and  draughts  of 
burgundy,  the  prince  and  Harry  mounted  their  horses 
Lady  Sidmouth  determined  to  remain  for  a  few  days  at 
one  of  her  tenant's  houses,  and  then  to  go  quietly  on  to 
Oxford — for  by  this  time  the  main  army  of  Essex  was 
rapidly  moving  east,  and  the  country  would  soon  be 
secure  for  her  passage.  The  prince  and  Harry  rode  at 
full  speed  to  rejoin  the  army.  That  night,  by  riding 
late,  they  reached  it.  They  found  that  Essex  had,  in 
his  retreat,  surprised  Oirencester  and  had  passed 
Farringdon. 

The  prince,  with  five  thousand  horse,  started,  and 
marching  with  great  rapidity,  got  between  Reading  and 
the  enemy,  and,  near  Newbury,  fell  upon  the  Parlia- 
ment horse.  For  several  hours  sharp  skirmishing  went 
on,  and  Essex  was  forced  to  halt  his  army  at  Hunger- 
ford.  This  gave  time  for  the  king,  who  was  marching 
at  the  head  of  his  infantry,  to  come  up.  The  royal 
army  occupied  Newbury,  and  by  the  position  they  had 
taken  up,  were  now  between  the  Roundheads  and 
London. 

On  the  morning  of  the  20th  of  September  the  outpost 
of  each  force  became  engaged,  and  the  battle  soon  raged 
along  the  whole  line.  It  was  to  some  extent  a  repetition 
of  the  battle  of  Edgehill.  Prince  Rupert,  with  his 
Cavaliers,  swept  away  the  horse  of  the  enemy;  but  the 
pikemen  of  London,  who  now  first  were  tried  in  combat, 
forced  back  the  infantry  of  the  king.  Prince  Rupert, 
returning  from  the  pursuit,  charged  them  with  all  ]his 
cavalry;  but  so  sharply  did  they  shoot,  and  so  steadily 
did  the  line  of  pikes  hold  together,  that  the  horse  coulr* 
make  no  impression  upon  them. 


90  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

The  night  fell  upon  an  undecided  battle,  and  the  next 
morning  the  Roundheads,  as  at  Edgehill,  drew  off  from 
the  field,  leav'^  to  the  Royalists  the  honor  of  a  nominal 
success,  a  a^c^os,  however,  which  was  in  both  cases 
taiitamGtii:  j  'o  &  repulse. 

Three  leading  men  upon  the  king's  side  fell — Lords 
Falkland,  Carnarvon,  and  Sunderland.  The  former, 
one  of  the  finest  characters  of  the  times,  may  be  said  to 
have  thrown  away  his  life.  He  was  utterly  weary  of  the 
terrible  dissensions  and  war  in  which  England  was 
plunged.  He  saw  the  bitterness  increasing  on  both  sides 
daily — the  hopes  of  peace  growing  less  and  less;  and  as 
he  had  left  the  Parliamentary  party,  because  he  saw  that 
their  ambition  was  boundless,  and  that  they  purposed  to 
set  up  a  despotic  tyranny,  so  he  must  have  bitterly  grieved 
at  seeing  upon  the  side  of  the  king  a  duplicity  beyond 
all  bounds,  and  want  of  faith  which  seemed  to  forbid  all 
hope  of  a  satisfactory  issue.  Thus,  then,  when  the  day 
of  Newbury  came,  Falkland,  whose  duties  in  nowise  led 
him  into  the  fight,  charged  recklessly  and  found  the 
death  which  there  can  be  little  doubt  he  sought. 

Although  the  Cavaliers  claimed  Newbnry  as  a  great  vic- 
tory, instead  of  advancing  upon  London  they  fell  back 
as  usual  to  Oxford. 

During  the  skirmishes  Harry  had  an  opportunity  of 
doing  a  service  to  an  old  friend.  The  Parliament  horse, 
although  valiant  and  better  trained  than  that  of  the 
Royalists,  were  yet  unable  to  withstand  the  impetuosity 
with  which  the  latter  always  attacked,  the  men  seeming, 
indeed,  to  be  seized  with  a  veritable  panic  at  the  sight  of 
the  gay  plumes  of  Rupert's  gentlemen.  In  a  fierce  skir- 
mish between  Harry's  troop  and  a  party  of  Parliament 
horse  of  about  equal  strength,  the  latter  were  defeated, 
and  Harry,  returning  with  the  main  body,  found  a  Puri- 
tan officer  dismounted,  with  his  back  against  a  tree, 


K  though  D.J 


-  THIS  is  TREASON  AND  TREACHERY  J  "~Pag«  ox. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  91 

defending  himself  from  the  attacks  of  three  of  his  men, 
Harry  rode  hastily  up  and  demanded  his  surrender. 
The  officer  looked  up,  and  to  his  surprise  Harry  saw  h  s 
friend  Herbert. 

' 'I  am  your  prisoner,  Harry,"  Herbert  said,  as  he  lo  »v~ 
ered  the  point  of  his  sword. 

"Not  at  all!"  Harry  exclaimed.  "It  would  indeed  be 
a  strange  thing,  Herbert,  were  I  to  make  you  a  prisoner. 
I  thought  you  settled  at  Abingdon?" 

Ordering  one  of  his  troopers  to  catch  a  riderless  horse 
which  was  galloping  near,,  he  spoke  for  a  moment  or  two 
with  his  friend,  and  then,  as  the  horse  was  brought  up, 
he  told  him  to  mount  and  ride. 

"But  you  may  get  into  trouble  for  releasing  me," 
Herbert  said. 

"I  care  not  if  I  do,"  Harry  replied.  "But  you  need 
not  be  uneasy  about  me,  for  Prince  Kupert  will  stand 
my  friend,  and  hold  me  clear  of  any  complaint  that  may 
be  made.  I  will  ride  forward  with  you  a  little,  till  you 
can  join  your  friends," 

As  Harry  rode  on  by  the  side  of  Herbert  a  Royalist 
officer,  one  Sir  Ralph  Willoughby,  dashed  up. 

"What  means  this?"  he  exclaimed.  "Do  I  see  an 
officer  of  his  majesty  riding  with  one  of  the  Roundheads? 
This  is  treason  and  treachery!" 

"I  will  answer  to  the  king,  if  need  be,"  Harry  said, 
"for  my  conduct.  I  am  not  under  your  orders,  Sir 
Ralph,  and  shall  use  my  discretion  in  this  matter.  This 
gentleman  is  as  a  brother  to  me." 

"And  I  would  cut  down  my  brother,"  Sir  Ralph  said 
furiously,  "if  I  found  him  in  the  ranks  of  the  enemy!" 

"Then,  sir,  we  differ,"  Harry  replied,  "for  that  would 
not  I.  There  are  your  friends,"  he  said  to  Herbert, 
pointing  to  a  body  of  Roundheads  at  a  short  distance. 
"Give  me  your  word,  however,  that  you  will  not  draw 
sword  again  to-day." 


92  FRIENDS,  TUOVGU  DIVIDED. 

Herbert  readily  gave  the  required  promise,  and  riding 
off,  was  soon  with  his  friends.  Sir  Ralph  and  -Harry 
came  to  high  words  after  he  had  left;  and  the  matter 
might  then  and  there  have  been  decided  by  the  sword, 
had  not  a  party  of  Roundheads,  seeing  two  cavalry 
officers  so  near  to  them,  charged  down,  and  compelled 
them  to  ride  for  their  lives. 

The  following  day  Sir  Ralph  reported  the  circum- 
stance to  the  general,  and  he  to  Prince  Rupert.  The 
prince  laughed  at  the  charge. 

"Harry  Furness,"  he  said,  "is  as  loyal  a  gentleman  as 
draws  sword  in  our  ranks,  and  as  he  and  I  have  been  well- 
nigh  roasted  together,  it  were  vain  indeed  that  any  com- 
plaint were  made  to  me  touching  his  honor.  I  will 
speak  to  him,  however,  and  doubt  not  that  his  explana- 
tion will  be  satisfactory.'7 

The  prince  accordingly  spoke  to  Harry,  who  explained 
the  circumstances  of  his  relations  with  the  young  Round- 
head. 

"Had  he  been  a  great  captain,  sir,"  Harry  said,  "I 
might  have  deemed  it  my  duty  to  hold  him  in  durance, 
however  near  his  relationship  to  myself.  But  as  a  few 
weeks  since  he  was  but  a  schoolboy,  methought  that  the 
addition  of  his  sword  to  the  Roundhead  cause  would 
make  no  great  difference  in  our  chances  of  victory  that 
afternoon.  Moreover,  I  had  received  his  pledge  that  he 
would  not  draw  sword  again  in  the  battle." 

As  even  yet,  although  the  bitterness  was  quickly  in- 
creasing, it  was  far  from  having  reached  that  point 
which  it  subsequently  attained,  and  prisoners  on  both 
sides  were  treated  with  respect,  no  more  was  said  regard- 
ing Harry's  conduct  in  allowing  his  friend  to  escape. 
But  from  that  moment,  between  himself  and  Sir  Ralph 
Wiiloughby  there  grew  up  a  strong  feeling  of  animosity, 
which  only  needed  some  fitting  pretext  to  break  out. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  93 

It  was,  indeed,  an  unfortunate  point  in  the  royal 
cause,  that  there  was  very  far  from  being  unity  among 
those  who  fought  side  by  side.  There  were  intrigues 
and  jealousies.  There  were  the  king's  men,  who  would 
have  supported  his  majesty  in  a^l  lengths  to  which  he 
might  have  gone,  and  who  were  ever  advising  him  to 
resist  all  attempts  at  pacification,  and  to  be  content 
with  nothing  less  than  a  complete  defeat  of  his  enemies. 
Upon  the  other  hand,  there  were  the  grave,  serious  men, 
who  had  drawn  the  sword  with  intense  reluctance,  and 
who  desired  nothing  so  much  as  peace — a  peace  which 
would  secure  alike  the  rights  of  the  crown  and  the 
rights  of  the  people. 

They  were  shocked,  too,  by  the  riotous  and  profligate 
ways  of  some  of  the  wilder  spirits,  and  deemed  that  their 
cause  was  sullied  by  the  reckless  conduct  and  wild  ways 
of  many  of  their  party.  Sir  Henry  Furness  belonged  to 
this  section  of  the  king's  adherents,  and  Harry,  who  had 
naturally  imbibed  his  father's  opinions,  held  himself  a 
good  deal  aloof  from  the  wild  young  spirits  of  the  king's 
party. 

Skirmishes  took  place  daily  between  the  cavalry  out- 
posts  of  the  two  armies.  Sir  Henry  was  asked  by  the 
prince  to  send  some  of  his  troops  across  the  river  to 
watch  the  enemy,  and  he  chose  that  commanded  by 
Harry,  rather  for  the  sake  of  getting  the  lad  away  from 
the  temptations  and  dissipation  of  Oxford  than  to  give 
him  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing  himself.  The 
troop  commanded  by  Sir  Ralph  Willoughby  was  also  on 
outpost  duty,  and  lay  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
village  in  which  Harry  quartered  his  men  after  crossing 
the  river.  The  Roundhead  cavalry  were  known  to  be 
but  three  or  four  miles  away,  and  the  utmost  vigilance 
was  necessary. 

Harry  gave  orders  that  the  troops  should  be  distributed 


94  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

through  the  village — n>e  men  to  a  house.  Straw  was  to 
be  brought  in  at  night,  and  laid  on  the  floor  of  the 
kitchens,  and  the  men  were  there  to  sleep,  with  their 
arms  by  their  sides,  ready  for  instant  service.  One  of 
each  party  was  to  stand  sentry  over  the  five  horses  which 
were  to  be  picketed  to  the  palings  in  front  of  the  house, 
At  the  first  alarm  he  was  at  once  to  awake  his  comrades, 
who  were  to  mount  instantly,  and  form  in  column  in  the 
street.  Two  pickets  were  placed  three  hundred  yards 
from  the  village,  and  two  others  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
further  in  advance.  Harry  and  Jacob  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  the  village  inn,  and  arranged  alternately  to 
visit  the  pickets  and  sentries  every  two  hours. 

"They  shall  not  catch  us  napping,  Jacob.  This  is  my 
first  command  on  detached  duty.  You  and  I  have  often 
remarked  upon  the  reckless  ways  of  our  leaders.  We 
have  an  opportunity  now  of  carrying  our  own  ideas  into 
effect." 

At  three  o'clock  Jacob  visited  the  outposts.  All  was 
still,  arid  nothing  had  occurred  to  give  rise  to  any  sus- 
picion of  the  vicinity  of  an  enemy.  Half  an  hour  later 
one  of  the  advanced  pickets  galloped  in.  They  heard, 
he  said,  a  noise  as  of  a  large  body  of  horse,  away  to  the 
right,  and  it  seemed  as  if  it  was  proceeding  toward  Chal- 
combe,  the  village  where  Sir  Ralph  Willoughby's  troop 
was  quartered.  Two  minutes  later,  thanks  to  Harry's 
arrangements,  the  troop  were  mounted  and  in  readiness 
for  action. 

The  first  faint  dawn  of  day  had  begun.  Suddenly  the 
stillness  was  broken  by  the  sound  of  pistol  shots  and 
shouts  from  the  direction  of  Chalcombe,  which  lay  a 
mile  away. 

"it  is  likely/'  Harry  said,  "that  Sir  Ralph  has  been 
caught  napping.  He  is  brave,  but  he  is  reckless,  and 
the  discipline  of  his  troop  is  of  the  slackest.  Let  us 
ride  to  his  rescue." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  9ft 

The  troop  filed  out  from  the  village,  and  turned 
down  the  snk<  road  leading  to  Chalcornbe.  Harry  set 
spurs  to  his  horse  and  led  the  column  at  a  gallop.  Th* 
sound  of  shots  continued  without  intermission,  an<i 
presently  a  bright  light  shot  up. 

"Methinks."  Harry  said  to  Jacob,  "the  Roundheadt 
have  caught  our  men  asleep,  and  it  is  an  attack  upon 
the  houses  rather  than  a  cavalry  fight." 

It  was  scarcely  five  minutes  from  the  time  they  started 
when  they  approached  the  village.  By  the  light  of  a 
house  which  had  been  set  on  fire,  Harry  saw  that  his 
conjecture  was  well  founded.  The  Roundheads  wer* 
dismounted,  and  were  attacking  the  houses. 

Halting  just  outside  the  village,  Harry  formed  his 
men  with  a  front  across  the  whole  road,  and  directed  th* 
lines  to  advance,  twenty  yards  apart.  Then,  placing 
himself  at  their  head,  he  gave  the  word,  and  charge'! 
down  the  street  upon  the  Roundheads.  The  latter, 
occupied  by  their  attack  upon  the  houses,  were  uncon- 
scious of  the  presence  of  their  foe  until  he  was  clos* 
upon  them,  and  were  taken  utterly  by  surprise.  Th« 
force  of  the  charge  was  irresistible,  and  the  Roundheads, 
dispersed  and  on  foot,  were  cut  down  in  all  directions 
Groups  of  twos  and  threes  stood  together  and  attempted 
resistance,  but  the  main  body  thought  only  of  regain 
ing  their  horses.  In  three  minutes  after  the  Royalistt 
entered  the  village  the  surviving  Roundheads  were  i» 
full  flight,  hotly  pursued  by  the  victorious  Cavaliers. 
These,  being  for  the  most  part  better  mounted,  overtook 
and  slew  many  of  the  Roundheads,  and  not  more  tha* 
half  the  force  which  had  set  out  returned  to  their  quar 
ters  at  Didcot.  The  pursuit  continued  to  within  half  * 
mile  of  that  place,  and  then  Harry,  knowing  that  ther* 
was  a  force  of  Roundhead  infantry  there,  drew  off  fror* 
the  pursuit,  and  returned  to  Chalcombe.  He  £ound  th»> 


96  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

more  than  half  of  Sir  Ralph  Willoughy?s  men  had  been 
killed,  many  having  been  cut  down  before  they  could 
betake  themselves  to  their  arms,  those  quartered  in  the 
inn,  and  at  two  or  three  of  the  larger  houses,  having 
alone  maintained  a  successful  resistance  until  the  arrival 
of  succor. 

Sir  Ralph  Willoughby  was  furious.  The  disaster  was 
due  to  his  own  carelessness  in  having  contented  himself 
with  placing  two  pickets  in  advance  of  the  village,  and 
permitting  the  whole  remainder  of  his  force  to  retire  to 
bed.  Consequently  the  picket,  on  riding  in  upon  the 
approach  of  the  enemy,  were  unable  to  awake  and  call 
them  to  arms  before  the  Roundheads  were  upon  them. 
In  his  anger  he  turned  upon  Harry,  and  fiercely  de- 
manded why  he  had  not  sent  him  news  of  the  approach 
of  the  enemy, 

"You  must  have  known  it,"  he  said.  "Your  men 
were  all  mounted  and  in  readiness,  or  they  could  not 
have  arrived  here  so  soon.  You  must  have  been  close  at 
hand,  and  only  holding  off  in  order  that  you  might  boast 
of  having  come  to  my  relief." 

Harry,  indignant  at  these  words,  turned  on  heel  with- 
out deigning  to  give  an  answer  to  the  angry  man,  and  at 
once  rode  back  to  his  own  quarters.  Two  hours  later 
Prince  Rupert  rode  up.  The  firing  had  been  reported, 
and  Prince  Rupert  had  ridden  with  a  body  of  horse  to 
Chalcombe.  Here  he  had  heard  Sir  Ralph  Willonghby's 
version  of  the  story,  and  had  requested  that  officer  to 
ride  with  him  to  Harry's  quarters.  The  prince,  with 
several  of  his  principal  officers,  alighted  at  the  inn,  out- 
side which  Harry  received  him.  Prince  Rupert  led  the 
way  into  the  house. 

"Master  Furness,"  he  said,  "Sir  Ralph  Willoughby 
accuses  you  of  having  played  him  false,  and  left  his 
party  to  be  destroyed  on  account  of  the  quarrel  existing 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  9? 

between  you,  touching  that  affair  at  Newbury,  What 
have  you  to  say  to  this?  He  alleges  that  you  must  have 
been  close  at  hand,  and  moved  not  a  finger  to  save  him 
until  half  his  troop  was  destroyed." 

"It  is  wholly  false,  sir/'  Harry  saido  "Seeing  that 
the  enemy  were  so  close,  I  had  placed  my  pickets  well  in 
advance,  and  ordered  my  men  to  lie  down  in  their 
clothes,  with  their  arms  beside  them,  on  straw  in  the 
kitchens,  ready  to  mount  at  a  moment's  warning.  I 
quartered  five  in  each  house,  having  their  horses  fastened 
in  front,  and  one  of  each  party  stationed  at  the  door, 
where  he  could  observe  the  horses  and  wake  the  men  on 
the  instant.  Thus,  when  my  pickets  came  in  with  the 
news  that  troops  were  heard  moving  toward  Chalcombe, 
my  troop  was  in  less  than  two  minutes  in  the  saddle< 
As  we  rode  out  of  the  village  we  heard  the  first  shot, 
and  five  minutes  later  charged  the  Roundheads  in  the 
streets  of  the  village.  Had  we  not  hastened,  methinks 
that  neither  Sir  Ralph  Willoughby  nor  any  of  his  troops 
would  have  been  alive  now  to  tell  the  tale.  You  can 
question,  sir,  my  lieutenant,  or  any  of  my  troopers,  and 
you  will  hear  that  matters  went  precisely  as  I  have  told 
yon." 

"You  have  done  well  indeed,  Master  Furness,"  Prince 
Kupert  said  warmly,  "and  I  would  that  many  of  my 
other  officers  showed  the  same  circumspection  and  care 
as  you  have  done.  Now,  Sir  Ralph,  let  me  hear  what 
arrangements  you  made  against  surprise." 

"I  set  pickets  in  front  of  the  village,"  Sir  Ralph  said 
sulkily. 

"And  what  besides?"  the  prince  asked.  "Having 
done  that,  did  you  and  your  officers  and  men  go  quietly 
to  sleep,  as  if  the  enemy  were  a  hundred  miles  away?" 

Sir  Ralph  was  silent. 

"Fie,  for  shame,  sir!"  the  prince  said  sternly. 


98  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDKD 

own  carelessness  has  brought  disaster  upon  you,  and  in- 
stead of  frankly  owning  your  fault,  and  thanking  Master 
Furness  for  having  redeemed  your  error,  saved  ths 
remnant  of  your  troop,  and  defeated  the  Roundheads 
heavily,  your  jealousy  and  envy  of  the  lad  have  wrought 
yon  to  bring  false  accusations  against  him.  Enough, 
sir,"  he  said  peremptorily,  seeing  the  glance  of  hatred 
which  Sir  Ralph  cast  toward  Harry.  "Sufficient  harm 
has  been  done  already  by  your  carelessness — see  that  no 
more  arises  from  your  bad  temper.  I  forbid  this  quarrel 
to  go  further;  until  the  king's  enemies  are  wholly  de- 
feated there  must  be  no  quarrels  between  his  friends. 
And  should  I  hear  of  any  further  dispute  on  your  part 
with  Master  Furness,  I  shall  bring  it  before  the  king, 
and  obtain  his  warrant  for  your  dismissal  from  this 
army." 

The  following  day  Harry  and  his  troop  moved  further 
down  the  river,  the  enemy  having  fallen  back  from 
Didcot.  He  was  placed  at  a  village  where  there  was  a 
ford  across  the  river.  The  post  was  of  importance,  as 
its  position  prevented  the  enemy  from  making  raids 
into  the  country,  where  stores  of  provisions  and  cattle 
had  been  collected  for  the  use  of  the  army  at  Oxford. 
Harry 's  force  was  a  small  one  for  the  defense  of  such  a 
post;  but  there  appeared  little  danger  of  an  attack,  as 
Prince  Rupert,  with  a  large  force  of  cavalry,  lay  but  a 
mile  or  two  distant.  A  few  days  after  their  arrival, 
however,  Prince  Rupert  started  with  bis  horse  to  drive 
back  a  party  of  the  enemy  whom  he  heard  were  lying 
some  miles  north  of  Reading. 

"Prince  Rupert  never  seems  to  have  room  for  two 
ideas  in  his  head  at  the  same  time,"  Jac  >•*  said.  "The 
moment  he  hears  of  an  enemy  off  he  ridos  at  full  gallop, 
forgetting  that  h>>  has  left  us  alone  hf>r  It  is  well  if 
the  Roundheads  at  Reading  do  not  sail  u i  and  attack 
us,  seeing  how  useful  this  ford  would  bo  to  them." 


FRIENDS,   THOUGH  DIVIDED.  99 

"I  agree  with  you,  Jacob,  and  we  will  forthwith  set  to 
work  to  render  the  place  as  defensible  as  we  may." 

"We  had  best  defend  the  other  side  of  the  ford,  if  they 
advance,"  Jacob  said.  "We  could  make  a  far  better 
stand  there." 

"That  is  true,  Jacob;  but  though  we  could  there  bar 
them  from  entering  our  country,  they,  if  they  obtained 
the  village,  would  shut  the  door  to  our  entering  theirs. 
No,  it  is  clear  that  it  our  duty  to  defend  the  village  as 
long  as  we  can,  if  we  should  be  attacked." 

Harry  now  set  his  men  to  work  to  make  loopholes  in 
the  cottages  and  inclosure  walls,  and  to  connect  the 
latter  by  banks  of  earth,  having  thorn  branches  set  on 
the  top.,  Just  at  the  ford  itself  stood  a  large  water-mill, 
worked  by  a  stream  which  here  ran  into  the  river. 
Harry  placed  sacks  before  all  the  windows,  leaving  only 
loopholes  through  which  to  fire.  Some  of  the  troop 
carried  pistols  only;  others  had  carbines;  and  some, 
short,  wide-mouthed  guns,  which  carried  large  charges 
of  buckshot.  Pickets  were  sent  forward  a  mile  toward 
Heading. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  these  galloped  in  with  the  news 
that  a  heavy  column  of  infantry  and  cavalry,  with  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  were  approaching  along  the  road. 
Harry  at  once  dispatched  a  messenger,  with  orders  to 
ride  until  he  found  Prince  Rupert,  to  tell  him  of  the 
state  he  was  in,  and  ask  him  to  hurry  to  his  assistance, 
giving  assurance  that  he  would  hold  the  village  as  long 
as  possible.  All  now  labored  vigorously  at  the  works  of 
defense.  Half  an  hour  after  the  alarm  had  been  given 
the  enemy  were  seen  approaching. 

"There  must  be  over  five  hundred  men.  horse  and 
foot,"  Jacob  said,  as  from  the  upper  story-of  the  mill  he 
watched  with  Harry  the  approach  of  the  enemy.  "With 
fifty  men  we  shall  never  be  able  to  defend  the  circuit  of 
the  village.*1 


IOC  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"Not  if  they  attack  all  round  at  once,"  Harry  agreed. 
•''But  probably  they  will  fall  upon  us  in  column,  and  be- 
hind stone  walls  we  can  do  much.  We  must  keep  them 
out  as  long  as  we  can;  then  fall  back  here,  and  surround 
ourselves  with  a  ring  of  fire." 

As  soon  as  it  was  known  that  the  enemy  were  ap- 
proaching Harry  had  given  orders  that  all  the  inhabit- 
ants should  evacuate  their  houses  and  cross  the  river, 
taking  with  them  such  valuables  as  they  could  carry. 
There  were  several  horses  and  carts  in  the  village,  and 
these  were  at  once  put  in  requisition,  and  the  people 
crossing  and  recrossing  the  river  rapidly  carried  most  of 
their  linen  and  other  valuables  over  in  safety,  the  men 
continuing  to  labor  for  the  preservation  of  their  goods, 
even  after  the  fight  commenced. 

The  Roundheads  halted  about  four  hundred  yards 
from  the  village.  Just  as  they  did  so  there  was  a 
trampling  of  horses,  and  Sir  Ralph  Willoughby,  with  his 
troop,  now  reduced  to  thirty  strong,  rode  into  the  vil- 
lage. He  drew  up  his  horse  before  Harry. 

"Master  Furness,"  he  said,  "Prince  Rupert  has  for- 
bidden me  to  test  your  courage  in  the  way  gentlemen 
usually  do  so.  But  there  is  now  a  means  open.  Let  us 
see  which  will  ride  furthest — you  or  I — into  the  ranks  of 
yonder  horsemen/' 

Harry  hesitated  a  moment;  then  he  said  gravely: 

"My  life  is  not  my  own  to  throw  away,  Sir  Ralph, 
My  orders  are  to  hold  this  place.  That  I  can  best  do 
on  foot,  for  even  if  our  troops  united  were  to  rout  the 
enemy's  cavalry,  their  footmen  would  still  remain,  and 
would  carry  the  village.  No,  sir,  my  duty  is  to  fight 
here.'* 

"I  always  thought  you  a  coward!"  Sir  Ralph  ex- 
claimed; "now  I  know  it,"  and,  with  a  taunting  laugh, 
he  ordered  his  men  to  follow  him,  issued  from  the  vil- 


FRIENDS,  THOVGIZDIYlSBty  /s'l/^  ^ 

lage,  and  prepared,  with  his  little  band,  to  charge  the 
Koundhead  horse,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  strong. 

Just  as  they  formed  line,  however,  the  enemy's  guns 
opened,  and  a  shot  struck  Sir  Kalph  full  in  the  chest, 
hurling  him,  a  shattered  corpse,  to  the  ground. 

His  men3  dismayed  at  the  fall  of  their  leader,  drew 
rein. 

"Fall  back,  men,"  Harry  shouted  from  behind,  "fall 
back,  and  make  a  stand  here.  You  must  be  cut  to 
pieces  if  you  advance." 

The  troop,  who  had  no  other  officer  with  them,  at 
once  obeyed  Harry's  orders.  They  had  heard  the  con- 
versation between  him  and  their  leader,  and  although 
prepared  to  follow  Sir  Ralph,  who  was  the  landlord  of 
most  of  them,  they  saw  that  Harry  was  right,  and  that 
to  attack  so  numerous  a  body  of  horse  and  foot  was  but 
to  invite  destruction. 


ci  (?2  f&Wf&M  1HO  UOll  Dl  VIDEO. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

A    STUBBORN    DEFENSE. 

A  HALF-DOZEN  or  so  of  Sir  Ralph  Willoughby's  troop- 
ers declared  that  now  their  lord  was  dead  they  would 
fight  no  further,  and  straightway  rode  off  through  the 
village  and  across  the  ford.  The  rest,  however,  seeing 
that  a  brave  tight  against  odds  was  about  to  commence, 
declared  their  willingness  to  put  themselves  under 
Harry's  orders.  They  were  at  once  dismounted  and  scat- 
tered along  the  line  of  defenses.  After  the  Roundhead 
cannon  had  fired  a  few  shots  their  cavalry  charged, 
thinking  to  ride  into  the  village.  But  the  moment  Sir 
Ralph's  troopers  had  re-entered  it  Harry  had  heaped  up 
across  the  road  a  quantity  of  young  trees  and  bushes 
which  he  had  cut  in  readiness.  Not  a  shot  was  fired 
until  the  horsemen  reached  this  obstacle,  and  then  so 
heavy  a  fire  was  poured  upon  them,  as  they  dismounted 
and  tried  to  pull  it  asunder,  that,  with  a  loss  of  many 
men,  they  were  forced  to  retreat. 

The  infantry  now  advanced,  and  a  severe  fight  began. 
Harry's  eighty  men,  sheltered  behind  their  walls,  in- 
flicted heavy  damage  upon  the  enemy,  who,  however, 
pressed  on  stoutly,  one  column  reaching  the  obstruction 
across  the  road,  and  laboring  to  destroy  it.  All  the 
horses,  with  the  exception  of  twenty,  had  been  sent 
across  the  ford,  and  when  Harry  saw  that  in  spite  of  the 
efforts  of  his  men  the  enemy  were  destroying  the  abattis, 
he  mounted  twenty  men  upon  these  horses,  placing 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  103 

Jacob  at  their  head.  Then  he  drew  off  as  many  defend- 
ers from  other  points  as  he  could,  and  bade  these  charge 
their  pistols  and  blunderbusses  to  the  mouth  with  balls. 
As  the  enemy  effected  a  breach  in  the  abattis  and  streamed 
in,  Jacob  with  his  horse  galloped  down  upon  them  at 
full  speed.  The  reserve  poured  the  fire  of  their  heavily 
loaded  pieces  upon  the  mass  still  outside,  and  then  aided 
Jacob's  horse  by  falling  suddenly  on  those  within.  So 
great  was  the  effect  that  the  enemy  were  driven  back, 
and  the  column  retired,  the  breach  in  the  abattis  being 
hastily  filled  up,  before  the  cavalry,  who  were  waiting 
the  opportunity,  could  charge  down  upon  it. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  the  enemy  were  forcing 
their  way  in  at  other  points,  and  Harry  gave  word  for 
the  outside  line  of  houses  to  be  fired.  The  thatched 
roofs  speedily  were  in  flames,  and  as  the  wind  was  blow- 
ing from  the  river  dense  clouds  of  smoke  rolled  down 
upon  the  assailants.  It  was  now  only  the  intervals  be- 
tween the  houses  which  had  to  be  defended,  and  for  an 
hour  the  stubborn  resistance  continued,  the  Royalist 
troops  defending  each  house  with  its  inclosure  to  the 
last,  and  firing  them  as  they  retreated,  their  own  loss 
being  trifling  in  comparison  with  that  which  they  in- 
flicted upon  their  assailants. 

At  last  the  whole  of  the  defenders  were  gathered  in 
and  round  the  mill.  This  was  defended  from  attack  by 
the  mill  stream,  which  separated  it  from  the  village,  and 
which  was  crossed  only  by  the  road  leading  down  to  the 
ford.  The  bridge  was  a  wooden  one,  and  this  had  been 
already  partly  sawn  away.  As  soon  as  the  last  of  the 
defenders  crossed  the  remainder  of  the  bridge  was 
chopped  down.  Along  the  line  of  the  stream  Harry  had 
erected  a  defense,  breast  high,  of  sacks  of  wheat  from 
the  mill.  The  enemy,  as  they  straggled  out  through 
the  burning  village,  paused,  on  seeing  the  strong  posi- 


104  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

tiou  which  yet  remained  to  be  carried.  The  mill  stream 
was  rapid  and  deep,  and  the  approaches  swept  by  the 
fire  from  the  mill.  There  waa  a  pause,  and  then  the 
cannon  were  brought  up  and  lire  opened  upon  the  mill, 
the  musketry  keeping  up  an  incessant  rattle  from  every 
wall  and  clnmp  of  bushes. 

The  mill  was  built  of  wood,  and  the  cannon  shot  went 
through  and  through  it.  But  Harry  directed  his  men  to 
place  rows  of  sacks  along  each  floor  facing  the  enemy, 
and  lying  down  behind  these  to  fire  through  holes  pierced 
in  the  planks.  For  half  an  hour  the  cannonade  con- 
tinued, and  then  the  enemy  were  seen  advancing,  carry- 
ing beams  and  the  trunks  -of  small  trees,  to  make  a 
bridge  across  the  stream.  Had  Harry's  men  been  armed 
with  muskets  it  would  have  been  next  to  impossible  for 
the  enemy  to  succeed  in  doing  this  in  the  face  of  their 
fire.  But  the  fire  of  their  short  weapons  was  wild  and 
uncertain,  except  at  short  distances.  Very  many  of  the 
Roundheads  fell,  but  others  pressed  forward  bravely, 
and  succeeded  in  throwing  their  beams  across  the  stream. 
*By  this  time  Harry  had  led  out  all  his  force  from  the 
mill,  and  a  desperate  fight  took  place  at  the  bridge.- 
The  enemy  lined  the  opposite  bank  in  such  force  that 
none  of  the  defenders  could  show  their  heads  above  the 
barricade  of  sacks,  and  Harry  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  further  resistance  was  vain.  He  ordered  Jacob  to 
take  all  the  men  with  the  exception  of  ten  and  to  retire 
at  once  across  the  ford.  He  himself  with  the  remainder 
would  defend  the  bridge  till  they  were  fairly  across,  and 
would  then  rush  over  and  join  them  as  he  might. 

With  a  heavy  heart  Jacob  was  preparing  to  obey  this 
order,  when  he  heard  a  loud  cheer,  and  saw  Prince 
Rupert,  heading  a  large  body  of  horse,  dash  into  the 
river  on  the  other  side.  The  enemy  saw  him  too. 
There  was  an  instant  cessation  of  their  fire,  and  before 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDBD.  105 

Prince  Rupert  had  gained  the  bank  the  Roundheads 
were  already  in  full  retreat  for  Reading.  The  bridge 
was  hastily  repaired,  and  the  prince  pursued  for  some 
distance,,  chasing  their  cavalry  well-nigh  into  Reading. 
Their  infantry,  however,  held  together,  and  regained 
that  town  in  safety. 

Upon  his  return  Prince  Rupert  expressed  his  wan., 
admiration  at  the  prolonged  and  gallant  defense  which 
liarry  had  made,  and  said  that  the  oldest  soldier  in  the 
army  could  not  have  done  better.  At  Harry's  request 
he  promised  the  villagers  that  the  next  day  money  should 
be  sent  out  from  the  king's  treasury  to  make  good  the 
losses  which  they  had  sustained.  Then  he  left  a  strong 
body  of  horse  to  hold  -:he  village,  and  directed  Harry  to 
ride  with  him  with  his  troop  to  Oxford. 

"I  have  a  mission  for  you,  Master  Furness,"  he  said, 
as  they  rode  along.  "I  have  already  told  his  majesty 
how  coolly  and  courageously  you  conducted  yourself  in 
that  sore  strait  in  which  we  were  placed  together.  The 
king  has  need  of  a  messenger  to  Scotland.  The  mission 
is  a  difficult  one,  and  full  of  danger.  It  demands  cool- 
ness and  judgment  as  well  as  courage.  I  have  told  his 
majesty  that,  in  spite  of  your  youth,  you  possess  these 
qualities,  but  the  king  was  inclined  to  doubt  whether  you 
were  old  enough  to  be  intrusted  with  such  a  commission. 
After  to-day's  doings  he  need  have  no  further  hesitation. 
I  spoke  to  your  father  but  yesterday,  and  he  has  given 
consent  that  you  shall  go,  the  more  readily,  methinks, 
because  the  good  Cavalier  thinks  that  tho  morals  and 
ways  of  many  of  our  young  officers  to  be  in  no  wise 
edifying  for  you,  and  I  cannot  but  say  that  he  is  right. 
What  sayest  thou?" 

Hurry  expressed  his  willingness  to  undertake  any  mis- 
sion with  which  he  might  be  charged.  He  thought  it 
probable  that  no  great  movements  would  be  undertaken 


106  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDE]* 

in  the  south  for  some  time,  and  with  a  lad's  natural  love 
of  adventure,  was  pleased  at  the  thought  of  change  and 
variety. 

The  Scots  were  at  this  time  arranging  for  a  close 
alliance  with  the  Parliament,  which  had  sent  emissaries 
to  Edinburgh  to  negotiate  a  Solemn  League  and  Cove- 
nant. Sir  Henry  Vane,  who  was  an  Independent,  had 
been  forced  to  accede  to  tha  demand  of  the  Scotch  Par- 
liament, that  the  Presbyterian  religious  system  of  Scot- 
land should  be  adopted  as  that  of  England,  and  after 
much  chaffering  foi  terms  on  both  sides,  the  document 
was  signed,  and  was  to  bind  those  who  subscribed  it  to 
endeavor,  without  respect  of  persons,  to  extirpate  popery 
and  prelacy. 

On  the  35th  of  September,  nearly  a  week  after  the 
battle  of  Newbury,  all  the  members  of  Parliament  still 
remaining  in  London  assembled  in  St.  Margaret's 
Church,  and  signed  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant; 
but  even  at  this  moment  of  enthusiasm  the  parties 
were  not  true  to  each  other.  The  bcotcli  expected  that 
Presbyterianism  would  be  introduced  into  England,  and 
that  Episcopacy  would  be  entirely  abolished.  The  Eng- 
lish members,  however,  signed  the  declaration  with  the 
full  intent  of  preserving  their  own  religion,  that  of  a 
form  of  Episcopacy,  altered  much  indeed  from  that  of 
the  Church  of  England,  but  still  differing  widely  from 
the  Scotch  system. 

The  king  had  many  adherents  in  Scotland,  chief  of 
whom  was  the  Earl  of  Montrose,  a  most  gallant  and 
loyal  nobleman. 

Upon  the  day  after  the  fight  in  the  village  the  king, 
on  Prince  Rupert's  recommendation,  appointed  Harry 
Furness  to  bear  dispatches  to  the  earl,  and  as  he  waa 
going  north,  Prince  Rupert  placed  Lady  Sidmouth  and 
her  daughter  under  his  charge  to  convey  to  the  army  of 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  jot 

the  Earl  of  Newcastle,  under  whom  her  husband  Kas  at 
this  time  engaged. 

Upon  asking  what  force  he  should  take  with  him  the 
prince  said  that  he  had  better  proceed  with  his  own 
troop,  as  an  escort  to  the  ladies,  as  far  as  the  camp  of 
Newcastle,  filling  up  the  places  of  those  who  had  fallen 
in  the  skirmishes  and  fight  of  Newbury  with  other  men, 
so  as  to  preserve  his  full  tale  of  fifty  troopers.  When  he 
had  fulfilled  the  first  part  of  his  mission  he  was  to  place 
his  troop  at  the  earl's  service  until  his  return,  and  to 
proceed  in  such  manner  and  disguise  as  might  seem  best 
to  him. 

Harry  started  for  the  north  in  high-  spirits,  feeling 
very  proud  of  the  charge  confided  to  him.  Lady  Sid- 
mouth  and  her  daughter  were  placed  in  a  light  litter  be- 
tween two  horses.  Harry  took  his  place  beside  it.  Half 
the  troop,  under  the  command  of  the  lieutenant,  rode 
in  front;  the  other  half  followed.  So  they  started  for 
the  north.  It  was  a  long  journey,  as  they  were  forced 
to  avoid  many  towns  occupied  by  Roundheads.  Upon 
the  fourth  day  of  their  journey  they  suddenly  heard  the 
explosion  of  pistols,  and  the  shouts  of  men  in  conflict. 
Harry  ordered  his  lieutenant  to  ride  forward  with  half 
the  troop  to  some  rising  ground  just  in  front,  and  there 
they  saw  a  combat  going  on  between  a  party  of  Cavaliers 
and  a  force  of  Roundheads,  much  superior  to  them  in 
numbers.  Harry  joined  the  lieutenant,  aiid  sending 
back  a  man  with  orders  to  the  remaining  half  of  the 
troop  to  form  a  guard  round  the  litter,  he  headed  the 
advance  party,  and  the  twenty-five  men  rode  headlong 
down  into  the  scene  of  conflict.  It  was  a  sharp  fight 
for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  the  accession  of  strength 
which  the  Cavaliers  had  gained  gave  them  the  superior- 
*ty,  and  the  Roundheads  fell  back,  but  in  good  order. 

"You   arrived   just   in   time,  sir,"  the  leader  of   the 


108  VRIBNDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

party  engaged  said.  "I  am  Master  John  Chillingworth, 
and  am  marching  to  Hardley  House,  which  the  Puritans 
are  about  to  besiege.  There  is  no  time  to  delay,  for  see 
you  not  on  yonder  hill  the  gleam  of  pikes?  That  is  the 
enemy's  footmen.  It  is  only  an  advanced  party  of  their 
horse  with  which  we  have  had  this  affair.  You  cannot 
go  forward  in  this  direction.  There  is  a  strong  body  of 
Roundheads  lying  a  few  miles  to  the  north." 

Harry  rode  back  to  Lady  Sidmouth,  and  after  a  con- 
sultation with  her  and  with  Master  Chillingworth,  they 
decided  to  throw  themselves  into  Hardley  House,  where 
the  addition  of  strength  which  they  brought  might 
enable  them  to  beat  off  the  Roundheads,  and  then  to 
proceed  on  their  way.  They  learned  indeed  from  a 
peasant  that  several  bodies  of  Roundheads  were  advanc- 
ing from  various  directions,  and  that  Hardley  House  was 
strong  and  well  defended.  Of  the  choice  of  evils,  there- 
fore, they  thought  this  to  be  the  lightest,  and,  after  an 
hour's  hard  riding,  they  arrived  before  its  walls.  It  was 
an  old  castellated  building,  with  bastions  and  walls  capa- 
ble of  standing  a  siege.  The  party  were  gladly  received 
by  the  master,  Sir  Francis  Burdett,  who  had  placed  his 
castle  in  a  posture  of  defense,  but  was  short  of  men. 
Upon  the  news  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy  he  had 
hastily  driven  a  number  of  cattle  into  the  yard,  and  had 
stores  of  provisions  sufficient  to  stand  a  siege  for  some 
time. 

In  a  short  time  the  Parliament  force,  consisting  of 
five  hundred  footmen  and  two  hundred  horse,  appeared 
before  the  castle,  and  summoned  it  to  surrender.  Sir 
Francis  refused  to  do  so,  and  fired  a  gun  in  token  of 
defiance.  Soon  a  train  was  seen  approaching  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  four  guns  were  dragged  by  the  enemy  to  a 
point  of  high  ground  near  the  castle.  Here  the  Round- 
heads began  to  throw  up  a  battery,  but  were  mightily 


&RIS&D8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  109 

Inconvenienced  while  doing  so  by  the  guns  of  the  castle, 
which  shot  briskly  against  them.  Working  at  night, 
however,  in  two  days  they  completed  the  battery,  which, 
on  the  third  morning,  opened  lire  upon  the  castle.  The 
guns  were  much  heavier  than  those  upon  the  walls,  and 
the  shot,  directed  at  a  curtain  between  two  towers,  bat- 
cered  the  stone  sorely.  The  Parliament  footmen  were 
drawn  back  a  space  from  the  walls  so  as  to  avoid  the  fire 
of  muskets  from  the  defenders.  There  were  in  all  in 
the  castle  about  two  hundred  men,  one  hundred  having 
been  collected  before  the  arrival  of  the  troops  of  horse. 
These  determined  upon  making  a  desperate  resistance 
when  the  wall  should  give  way,  which  would,  they 
doubted  not,  be  upon  the  following  day.  Everything 
that  could  be  done  was  tried  to  hinder  the  destruction 
made  by  the  enemy's  shot,  Numbers  of  sacks  were  filled 
with  earth,  and  lowered  from  the  walls  above  so  as  to 
hang  in  regular  order  before  it,  and  so  break  the  force 
of  the  shot.  This  had  some  effect,  but  gradually  the 
wall  crumbled  beneath  the  blows  of  the  missiles  from  the 
Roundhead  guns. 

"We  are  useless  here,  save  as  footmen,"  Harry  said 
that  night  to  his  host  "There  is  a  postern  gate,  is 
there  not,  behind  the  castle?  Methinks  that  if  we  could 
get  out  in  the  dark  unobserved,  and  form  close  to  the 
walls,  so  that  their  pickets  lying  around  might  not  sus- 
pect us  of  purposing  to  issue  forth,  we  might,  when  day- 
light dawned,  make  an  attack  upon  their  guns,  aiid  if 
we  could  spike  these  the  assault  would  probably  cease." 

The  attempt  was  determined  upon.  The  -Roundhead 
infantry  were  disposed  behind  as  well  as  in  front  of  the 
castle,  so  as  to  prevent  the  escape  of  the  besieged;  but 
the  camp  was  at  a  distance  of  some  four  hundred  yards. 
The  chains  of  the  drawbridge  across  the  moat  were  oiled, 
as  were  the  bolts  of  the  doors,  and  at  three  in  tha  morn- 


110  FRIENDS,  TROUGH  DIVIDED. 

ing  the  gate  was  opened,  and  the  drawbridge  lowered 
Hcross  the  moat.  A  thick  layer  of  sacks  was  then  placed 
'.ipon  the  drawbridge.  The  horses'  hoofs  were  also 
muffled  with  sacking,  and  then,  one  by  one,  the  horses 
were  led  out,  the  drawbridge  was  drawn  up  again,  and 
all  was  quiet.  No  sound  or  motion  in  the  Puritan  camp 
betrayed  that  their  exit  was  observed,  and  they  could 
hear  the  challenges  of  the  circuit  of  sentries  passed  from 
man  to  man. 

When  the  first  streak  of  dawn  was  seen  in  the  east 
the  troop  mounted  their  horses,  and  remained  quiet 
until  the  light  should  be  sufficient  to  enable  them  to  see 
the  nature  of  the  ground  over  which  they  would  have  to 
pass.  This  they  would  be  able  to  do  before  they  them- 
selves were  observed,  standing  as  they  were  close  under 
the  shadow  of  the  walls  of  the  castle.  As  soon  as  it  was 
sufficiently  light  the  trumpets  sounded,  and  with  a 
burst  they  dashed  across  the  country.  Heeding  not  the 
bugle  calls  in  the  camp  of  the  Puritan  infantry,  they 
rode  straight  at  the  guns.  These  were  six  hundred 
yards  distant,  and  before  the  artillerymen  could  awake 
to  their  danger,  the  Eoyalists  were  upon  them.  Those 
that  stood  were  cut  down,  and  in  a  minute  the  guns 
were  spiked.  Then  the  cavalry  swept  round,  and  as  the 
Puritan  horse  hastily  formed  up,  they  charged  them. 
Although  but  half  their  numbers,  they  had  the  supe- 
riority in  the  surprise  at  which  they  took  their  foes,  and  in 
the  fa-ct  of  the  latter  being  but  half  armed,  not  having 
had  time  to  put  on  their  breastplates.  The  combat  was 
a  short  one,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Puritans  were  fly- 
ing in  all  directions.  The  pikemen  were  now  approach- 
ing on  either  side  in  compact  bodies,  and  against  these 
Harry  knew  that  his  horsemen  could  do  nothing.  He 
therefore  drew  them  off  from  the  castle,  and  during  the 
day  circled  rojmd  and  round  the  place,  seizing  several 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  HI 

carts  of  provisions  destined  for  the  wants  of  the  infantry, 
;uid  holding  them  in  a  sort  of  leaguer. 

That  nigr.t,  finding  that  their  guns  were  disabled*- 
fcheir  horse  defeated,  and  themselves  cut  off,  the  rebel 
infantry  drew  off,  and  gave  up  the  siege  of  the  place, 
The  next  morning  the  cavalry  re-entered  the  castle  in 
triumph,  and  having  received  the  hearty  thanks  of  Sir 
Francis  Burdett,  and  leaving  with  him  the  troop  of  Mas- 
ter Chillingworth,  who  intended  to  remain  there,  Harry 
proceeded  on  his  way  north,  and  reached  York  without 
further  adventure. 

v  During  the  ten  days  that  they  had  journeyed  together 
Lady  Sidmouth  had  been  greatly  pleased  with  the  atten- 
tion and  character  of  Harry  Furness.  He  was  always 
cheerful  and  courteous,  without  any  of  that  light  tone 
of  flippancy  which  distinguished  the  young  Cavaliers  of 
the  period,  and  her  little  daughter  was  charmed  with 
her  companion,  Harry  received  the  hearty  thanks  oi 
Sir  Henry  Sidmouth  for  the  care  with  which  he  had  con- 
ducted his  wife  through  the  dangers  of  the  journey,  and 
then,  having  so  far  discharged  his  duty,  he  left  his  troop 
at  York,  and  started  for  Scotland. 

On  the  way  he  had  discussed  with  Jacob  the  measures 
which  he  intended  to  take  for  his  journey  north.  Jacob 
had  begged  earnestly  to  accompany  him,  and  as  Harry 
deemed  that  his  shrewdness  might  be  of  great  use,  he 
determined  to  take  him  with  him,  as  well  as  another  of 
his  troop.  The  latter  was  a  merry  fellow,  named  Will- 
iam Long.  He  was  of  grave  and  sober  demeanor,  and 
never  smiled,  even  while  causing  his  hearers  to  be  con- 
vulsed with  laughter.  He  had  a  keen  sense  of  humor, 
was  a  ready-witted  and  courageous  follow,  and  had  fre- 
quently distinguished  himself  in  the  various  skirmishes, 
He  was  the  son  of  a  small  tenant  of  Sir  Henry  Furness. 
tlis  farm  was  near  the  hall,  and,  although  three  or  foui 


113  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

years  older  than  Harry,  he  had  as  a  boy  frequently 
accompanied  him  when  out  hawking,  and  in  other 
amusements.  Harry  felt  that,  with  two  attached  and 
faithful  comrades  like  these,  he  should  be  able  to  make 
his  way  through  many  dangers.  At  York  he  had  pro- 
cured for  himself  and  his  followers  suits  of  clothes  of  » 
grave  and  sober  cut,  such  as  would  be  worn  by  yeomen; 
and  here  they  laid  aside  their  Cavalier  garments,  and 
proceeded  northward.  They  traveled  quietly  forward 
as  far  as  Durham,  and  then  went  west,  as  Berwick  was 
held  for  the  Parliament.  They  carried  weapons,  for  at 
that  time  none  traveled  unarmed,  and  the  country 
through  which  they  had  to  pass  was  greatly  disturbed, 
the  moss  troopers  having  taken  advantage  of  the  dis' 
orders  of  the  times  to  renew  the  habits  of  their  fore- 
fathers, and  to  make  raids  upon  their  southern  neigh- 
bors, and  carry  off  cattle  and  horses.  They  carried  witb 
them  but  little  money,  a  small  quantity  in  their  valises, 
and  a  few  gold  pieces  concealed  about  their  persons, 
each  choosing  a  different  receptacle,  so  that  in  case  of 
pillage  some  at  least  might  retain  sufficient  to  carry  then? 
on  their  way.  Avoiding  the  large  towns,  where  alone  thev 
would  be  likely  to  be  questioned,  they  crossed  the  border, 
and  rode  into  Scotland, 

Upon  the  day  after  their  crossing  the  frontier  they 
saw  a  body  of  horsemen  approaching  them.  These  drew 
up  when  they  reached  them,  Harry  having  previously 
warned  his  comrades  to  offer  no  resistance,  as  the  party 
were  too  strong  for  them,  and  his  mission  was  too  im- 
portant to  allow  the  king's  cause  to  be  hazarded  by  an\; 
foolish  acts  of  pugnacity. 

"Are  you  for  the  king  or  the  kirk?"  the  leader  asked, 

"Neither  for  one  nor  the  other,"  Harry  said.  "We 
are  peaceable  yeomen  traveling  north  to  buy  cattle,  and 
we  meddle  not  in  the  disputes  of  the  time." 

"Have  you  any  news  from  the  south?" 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  113 

*  'Not  bin  g,"  Harry  replied.  "We  come  from  Durham, 
and  since  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Newbury,  no  tidings 
have  come  of  importance." 

The  man  looked  inquisitively  at  the  horses  and  valise?; 
but  Harry  had  chosen  three  stout  ponies  sufficiently 
good  to  carry  them,  but  offering  no  temptations  to  pilla- 
gers, and  the  size  of  the  valises  promised  but  little  from 
their  contents. 

"Since  you  are  riding  north  to  buy  cattle/'  the  leader 
said,  "you  must  have  money  with  you,  and  money  is 
short  wiuh  us  in  these  bad  times/' 

"We  have  not/'  Harry  said;  "judging  it  possible  that 
we  might  meet  with  gentlemen  who  felt  the  pressure  of 
the  times,  we  have  provided  ourselves  with  sufficient 
only  to  take  us  up  to  Kelso,  where  dwells  our  corre- 
spondent, who  will,  we  trust,  have  purchased  and  col- 
lected sufficient  cattle  for  us  to  take  south  when  we  shall 
learn  that  a  convoy  of  troops  is  traveling  in  this  direc* 
tion,  for  we  would  not  place  temptation  in  the  way  of 
those  whom  we  might  meet." 

"You  are  a  fellow  of  some  humor,"  the  leader  said 
grimly.  "But  it  is  evil  jesting  on  this  side  of  the 
border." 

"I  jest  not/'  Harry  said.  "There  is  a  proverb  in 
Latin,  with  which  doubtless  your  worship  is  acquainted, 
to  the  effect  that  an  empty  traveler  may  sing  before  rob- 
bers, and,  although  far  from  including  you  and  your 
worshipful  following  in  that  category,  yet  we  may  be 
pardoned  for  feeling  somewhat  light-hearted,  because 
we  are  not  overburdened  with  money." 

The  leader  looked  savagely  at  the  young  man;  but 
seeing  that  his  demeanor  and  that  of  his  followers  wag 
resolute,  that  they  carried  pistols  at  their  holsters  and 
heavy  swords,  and  deeming  that  nothing  but  hard 
knocks  would  come  of  an  attack  upon  them,  he  surlily 
bade  his  company  follow  him,  and  rode  on  his  way  again. 


2BOUGB 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   COMMISSIONER   OF  THE   CONVENTION. 

AT  Kelso  Harry  procured  changes  of  garments,  attir- 
ing himself  as  a  Lowland  farmer,  and  his  companions  as 
two  drovers.  They  were,  as  before,  mounted;  but  the 
costume  of  English  farmers  could  no  longer  have  been 
supported  by  any  plausible  story.  They  learned  that 
upon  the  direct  road  north  they  should  find  many  bodies 
of  Scotch  troops,  and  therefore  made  for  the  coast. 
Two  days'  riding  brought  them  to  the  little  port  of 
Ayton. 

After  taking  their  supper  in  the  common  room  of  the 
hostelry,  there  was  a  stir  outside,  and  three  men,  attired 
as  Puritan  preachers,  entered  the  room.  Mine  host  re- 
ceived them  with  courtesy,  but  with  none  of  the  eager 
welcome  usually  displayed  to  guests;  for  these  gentry, 
although  feared — for  their  power  was  very  great  at  the 
time — were  by  no  means  loved,  and  their  order*  at  a 
hostelry  were  not  likely  to  swell  the  purse  of  the  host. 
Stalking  to  an  unoccupied  table  next  to  that  at  which 
Harry  and  his  party  were  sitting,  they  took  their  seats 
and  called  for  supper. 

Harry  made  a  sign  to  his  companions  to  continue  talk- 
ing together,  while  he  listened  attentively  to  the  conver- 
sation of  the  men  behind  him.  He  gathered  from  their 
talk  that  they  were  commissioners  proceeding  from  the 
Presbyterian  Convention  in  London  to  discuss  with  that 
at  Edinburgh  upon  the  points  upon  which  they  could 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  H5 

t . 

come  to  an  agreement  for  a  common  basis  of  terms 
Their  talk  turned  principally  upon  doctrinal  questions, 
upon  which  Harry's  ignorance  was  entire  and  absolute, 
but  he  saw  at  once  that  it  would  do  good  service  to  the 
king  if  he  could  in  some  way  prevent  these  men  continu- 
ing upon  their  journey,  and  so  for  a  time  arrest  the  prog- 
ress of  the  negotiations  between  the  king's  enemies  in 
England  and  Scotland,  for  at  this  time  the  preachers 
were  the  paramount  authorities  in  England.  It  was 
they  who  insisted  upon  terms,  they  who  swayed  the 
councils  of  the  nation,  and  it  was  not  until  Cromwell, 
after  overthrowing  the  king,  overthrew  the  Parliament^ 
which  was  for  the  main  part  composed  of  their  creatures, 
that  the  power  of  the  preachers  came  to  an  end.  It 
would,  of  course,  have  been  easy  for  Harry  and  his 
friends  to  attack  these  men  during  their  next  day's 
journey,  but  this  would  have  involved  the  necessity  of 
killing  them — from  which  he  shrank — for  an  assault  upon 
three  godly  men  traveling  on  the  high  business  of  the 
Convention  to  the  Scottish  capital  would  have  caused 
such  an  outcry  that  Harry  could  not  hope  to  continue 
on  his  way  without  the  certainty  of  discovery  and  arrest. 

Signing  to  his  comrades  to  remain  in  their  seats,  he 
strolled  off  toward  the  port,  and  there  entered  a  public 
house,  which,  by  its  aspect,  was  frequented  by  seafaring 
men.  It  was  a  small  room  that  he  entered,  and  con- 
tained three  or  four  fishermen,  and  one  whom  a  certain 
superiority  in  dress  betokened  to  be  the  captain  of  a 
vessel.  They  were  talking  of  the  war,  and  of  the  proba- 
bility of  the  Scottish  army  taking  part  in  it.  The  fisher- 
men were  all  of  the  popular  party;  but  the  captain,  who 
seemed  a  jovial  fellow,  shrugged  his  shoulders  over  the 
religious  squabbles,  and  said  that,  for  his  part,  he  wanted 
nothing  but  peace. 

"Not,"  he  said,  "that  the  present  times  do  not  suit 


118  FR1&ND8,  THOUGH 

me  rarely  in  purse.  Men  are  too  busy  now  to  look  after 
the  doings  of  every  lugger  that  passes  along  the  coast, 
and  never  were  French  goods  so  plentiful  or  so  cheap. 
Moreover,"  he  said,  "1  find  that  not  unfrequently 
passengers  want  to  be  carried  to  France  or  Holland.  1 
ask  no  questions;  I  care  not  whether  they  go  on  missions 
from  the  Royalists  or  from  the  Convention;  1  take  their 
money;  I  land  them  at  4neir  destination;  no  questions 
are  asked.  So  the  times  suii  me  bravely;  but  for  all 
that  I  do  not  like  to  think  of  Englishmen  and  Scotch- 
men arrayed  against  their  fellows.  I  cannot  see  that  it 
matters  one  jot  whether  we  are  predestinate  or  not  pre- 
destinate, or  whether  it  is  a  bishop  who  governs  a  certain 
church  or  a  presbyter.  I  say  let  each  worship  in  his 
own  way,  and  not  concern  himself  about  his  fellows.  If 
men  would  but  mind  their  own  affairs  in  religion  as  they 
do  in  business  it  would  be  better  for  us  all." 

Harry,  as  he  drank  the  glass  of  beer  he  had  ordered, 
had  joined  occasionally  in  the  conversation,  not  taking 
any  part,  but  agreeing  chiefly  with  the  sea-captain  in  his 
desire  for  peace. 

"1  too,  he  said,  "have  nothing  to  grumble  at.  My 
beasts  fetch  good  prices  for  the  army,  and  save  that  there 
is  a  want  of  hands,  I  was  never  doing  better.  Still  1 
would  gladly  see  peace  established." 

Presently  the  fishermen,  having  finished  their  liquor, 
retired,  and  the  captain,  looking  keenly  at  Harry,  said, 
"Methmks,  young  sir,  that  you  are  not  precisely  what 
you  seem!" 

"That  is  so,"  Harry  replied;  "I  am  on  business  here, 
it  matters  not  on  which  side,  and  it  may  be  that  we  may 
•trike  a  bargain  together." 

"Do  you  want  to  cross  the  channel?"  the  captain 
asked,  laughing.  "You  seem  young  to  have  put  your 
Jiead  in  a  noose  already." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  11? 

"No,"  Harry  said,  "I  do  not  want  to  cross  myself; 
but  I  want  to  send  some  others  across.  I  suppose  that  if 
a  passenger  or  two  were  placed  on  board  your  ship,  to  be 
landed  in  Holland,  you  would  not  deem  it  necessary  to 
question  them  closely,  or  to  ascertain  whether  they  also 
were  anxious  to  arrive  at  that  destination?" 

"By  no  means/'  the  captain  replied.  "Goods  con- 
signed to  me  will  be  delivered  at  the  port  to  which  they 
are  addressed,  and  I  should  consider  that  with  passengers 
as  with  goods,  I  must  carry  them  to  the  port  for  which 
their  passage  is  taken." 

"Good,"  Harry  said;  "if  that  is  the  case,  methinks 
that  when  you  sail — and,"  he  asked,  breaking  off,  "when 
do  you  sail?" 

"To-morrow  morning,  if  the  wind  is  fair,"  the  captain 
answered.  "But  if  it  would  pay  me  better  to  stop  for  a 
few  hours,  I  might  do  so." 

"To-morrow  night,  if  you  will  wait  till  then,"  Harry 
said,  "I  will  place  three  passengers  on  board,  and  will 
pay  you  your  own  sum  to  land  them  at  Flushing,  or  any 
other  place  across  the  water  to  which  you  may  be  boujad. 
I  will  take  care  that  they  will  make  no  complaints  what- 
ever, or  address  any  remonstrance  to  you,  until  after 
you  have  fairly  put  to  sea.  And  then,  naturally,  you 
•will  feel  yourself  unable  to  alter  the  course  of  your 
ship." 

"But,"  the  captain  observed,  "I  must  be  assured  that, 
these  passengers  who  are  so  anxious  to  cross  the  water 
are  not  men  whose  absence  might  cause  any  great  bother. 
I  am  a  simple  man,  earning  my  living  as  honestly  as  the 
times  will  allow  me  to  do,  and  I  wish  not  to  embroil  my- 
self with  the  great  parties  of  the  State." 

"There  may  be  an  inquiry,"  Harry  replied;  "but  me- 
thinks  it  will  soon  drop.  They  are  three  preachers  of  Lon- 
don, who  are  on  their  way  to  dispute  concerning  points 


118  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

of  religion  with  the  divines  in  Scotland.  The  result  ot 
their  disputation  may  perchance  be  that  an  accord  may 
be  arrived  at  between  the  divines  of  London  and  Edin- 
burgh; and  in  that  case,  I  doubt  not  that  the  army  now 
lying  at  Dundee  would  move  south,  and  that  the  civil 
war  would  therefore  become  more  extended  and  cruel 
than  ever." 

The  captain  laughed. 

"I  am  not  fond  of  blackbirds  on  board  my  ship/'  he 
said.  "They  are  ever  of  ill  omen  on  the  sea.  But  I  will 
risk  it  for  so  good  a  cause.  It  is  their  pestilent  religious 
disputes  which  have  stirred  up  the  nations  to  war,  and  I 
doubt  not  that  even  should  some  time  elapse  before  these 
gentlemen  can  again  hold  forth  in  England,  there  are 
plenty  of  others  to  supply  their  place." 

An  agreement  was  speedily  arrived  at  as  to  the  terms 
of  passage,  for  Harry  was  well  provided  with  money, 
having  drawn  at  Kelso  from  an  agent  devoted  to  the 
Royal  cause,  upon  whom  he  had  letters  of  credit. 

The  next  morning  early  Harry  went  to  a  carter  in  the 
town,  and  hired  a  cart  for  the  day,  leaving  a  deposit 
for  its  safe  return  at  night.  Then,  mounting  their 
horses,  the  three  Royalists  rode  off  just  as  the  preachers 
were  going  forth  from  the  inn.  The  latter  continued 
their  course  at  the  grave  pace  suitable  to  their  calling 
and  occupation,  conversing  vigorously  upon  the  points 
of  doctrine  which  they  intended  to  urge  upon  their  fel- 
lows at  Edinburgh.  Suddenly,  just  where  the  road 
emerged  from  a  wood  on  to  a  common,  three  men  dashed 
out,  and  fell  upon  them.  The  preachers  roared  lustily 
for  mercy,  and  invoked  the  vengeance  of  the  Parliament 
upon  those  who  ventured  to  interfere  with  them. 

"We  are  charged,"  one  said,  "with  a  mission  to  the 
Convention  at  Edinburgh,  and  it  is  as  much  as  your 
tieads  are  worth  to  interfere  with  us." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"Natheless,"  Harry  said,  "we  must  even  risk  our 
heads.  You  must  follow  us  into  the  wood,  or  we  shal> 
be  under  the  necessity  of  'blowing  out  your  brains.'  " 

Much  crestfallen,  the  preachers  followed  their  captors 
into  the  wood.  There  they  were  despoiled  of  their  hats 
and  doublets,  tied  securely  by  cords,  gagged,  and  placed, 
in  spite  of  their  remonstrances  and  struggles,  in  three 
huge  sacks. 

At  midnight  the  Annette  was  lying  alongside  the 
wharf  at  Ayton,  when  a  cart  drove  up.  Three  men 
alighted  from  it,  and  one  hailed  the  captain,  who  was 
standing  on  deck. 

"I  have  brought  the  three  parcels  thou  wottest  of," 
he  said.  "They  will  need  each  two  strong  men  to  carry 
them  on  board." 

The  captain,  with  two  sailors,  ascended  to  the  quay. 

"What  have  we  here?"  said  one  of  the  sailors;  "there 
is  some  live  creature  in  this  sack." 

"It  is  a  young  calf,"  Harry  said;  "when  you  are  well 
out  to  sea  you  can  give  it  air." 

The  men  laughed,  for  having  frequently  had  passen- 
gers to  cross  to  the  Continent,  they  shrewdly  guessed  at 
the  truth;  and  the  captain  had  already  told  them  that 
the  delay  of  a  day  would  put  some  money  into  each  of 
their  pockets.  Having  seen  the  three  sacks  deposited 
on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  when  the  sails  were  immediately 
hoisted,  and  the  Annette  glided  away  on  her  course  sea- 
ward,  the  cart  was  driven  round  to  the  house  where  it 
had  been  hired.  The  stipulated  price  was  paid,  the  de- 
posit returned,  and  the  hirer  then  departed. 

Riding  toward  Edinburgh,  Harry  agreed  with  his  con»- 
rades  that  as  he,  as  the  apparent  leader  of  the  party, 
would  be  the  more  likely  to  be  suspected  and  arrested, 
it  would  be  better  for  the  documents  of  which  they  were 
the  carriers,  as  well  as  the  papers  found  upon  the  per- 


J.20  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

jons  of  the  Puritans,  to  be  intrusted  to  the  charge  of 
Jacob  and  William  Long.  Harry  charged  them,  in  the 
event  of  anything  happening  to  him,  to  pay  no  heed  to 
him  whatever,  but  to  separate  from  him  and  mix  with 
the  crowd,  and  then  to  make  their  way,  as  best  they 
might,  to  the  Earl  of  Montrose. 

"It  matters  nothing,"  he  said,  "my  being  arrested. 
They  can  prove  nothing  against  me,  as  I  shall  have  no 
papers  on  my  body,  while  it  is  all-important  that  you 
should  get  off.  The  most  that  they  can  do  to  me  is  to  send 
mo  to  London,  and  a  term  of  imprisonment  as  a  malignant 
is  the  worst  that  will  befall  me." 

The  next  day  they  entered  the  town  by  the  Canongate, 
/ind  were  surprised  and  amused  at  the  busy  scene  passing 
there.  Riding  to  an  inn,  they  put  up  their  horses  and 
dismounted.  Harry  purposed  to  remain  there  for  three  or 
four  days  to  learn  the  temper  of  the  people. 

The  next  morning  he  strolled  out  into  the  streets,  fol- 
lowed at  some  little  distance  by  Jacob  and  William  Long. 
lie  had  not  the  least  fear  of  being  recognized,  and  for  the 
time  gave  himself  up  thoroughly  to  the  amusement  of  the 
moment.  He  had  not  proceeded  far,  however,  when  he 
ran  full  tilt  against  a  man  in  a  black  garb,  who,  gazing  at 
him,  at  once  shouted  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Seize 
this  man,  he  is  a  malignant  and  a  spy/'  and  to  his  horror 
Hurry  discovered  the  small  preacher  with  whom  he  had 
twice  already  been  at  loggerheads,  and  who,  it  seems,  had 
been  dispatched  as  a  member  of  a  previous  commission  by 
his  party  in  London. 

In  a  moment  a  dozen  sturdy  hands  seized  him  by  his 
collar.  Feeling  the  utter  uselessness  of  resistance,  and 
being  afraid  that  should  he  attempt  to  struggle,  his  friends 
might  be  drawn  into  the  matter,  Harry  quietly  proceeded 
along  the  street  until  he  reached  the  city  guardhouse,  in  a 
cell  of  which  he  was  thrust. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  121 

•'One  would  think, "  he  muttered  to  himself,  ''that 
this  little  preacher  is  an  emissary  of  Satan  himself.  Go 
where  I  will,  this  lantern-jawed  knave  is  sure  to  crop  up, 
and  I  feel  convinced  that  until  I  have  split  his  skull  I 
shall  have  no  safety.  I  thought  I  had  freed  myself  of 
him  forever  when  I  got  out  of  London;  and  here,  in  the 
middle  of  the  Scotch  capital,  he  turns  up  as  sharp- 
sighted  and  as  venomous  as  ever." 

An  hour  or  two  later  Harry  was  removed  under  a 
guard  to  the  city  prison,  and  in  the  evening  the  doors 
were  opened  and  a  guard  appeared  and  briefly  ordered 
him  to  follow.  Under  the  escort  of  four  men  he  was 
led  through  the  streets  to  a  large  building,  and  then 
conducted  to  a  room  in  which  a  number  of  persons, 
some  of  them  evidently  of  high  rank,  were  sitting.  At 
the  head  of  the  table  was  a  man  of  sinister  aspect.  He 
had  red  hair  and  eyebrows,  and  a  foxy,  cunning  face, 
and  Harry  guessed  at  once  that  he  was  in  the  presence 
of  the  Earl  of  Argyll — a  man  who,  even  more  than  the 
rest  of  his  treacherous  race,  was  hated  and  despised  by 
loyal  Scotchmen.  In  all  their  history,  a  great  portion 
of  the  Scottish  nobles  were  ever  found  ready  to  take 
English  gold,  and  to  plot  against  their  country.  But 
the  Argylls  had  borne  a  bad  pre-eminence  even  among 
these.  They  had  hunted  Wallace,  had  hounded  down 
Bruce,  and  had  ever  been  prominent  in  fomenting  a  is-' 
sensions  in  their  country;  the  present  earl  was  probably 
the  coldest  and  most  treacherous  of  his  race. 

"We  are  told,"  he  said  sternly  to  the  prisoner,  "that 
you  are  a  follower  of  the  man  Charles;  that  you  have 
been  already  engaged  in  plottings  among  the  good  citi- 
zens of  London,  and  we  shrewdly  suspect  that  your  pres- 
ence here  bodes  no  good  to  the  state.  What  hast  thou 
to  say  in  thy  defense?" 

"I  do  not  know  that  I  am  charged  with  any  offense/5 


123  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Harry  said  quietly.  "I  am  an  English  gentleman,  who, 
wishing  to  avoid  the  disorders  in  his  own  country,  has 
traveled  north  for  peace  and  quietness.  If  'you  have 
aught  to  urge  against  me  or  any  evidence  to  give,  I  shall 
be  prepared  to  confute  it.  As  for  the  preacher,  whose 
evidence  has  caused  my  arrest,  he  hath  simply  a  grudge 
against  me  for  a  boyish  freak,  from  which  he  suffered  at 
the  time  when  I  made  my  escape  from  a  guardroom  in 
London,  and  his  accusation  against  me  is  solely  the 
result  of  prejudice." 

Harry  had  already,  upon  his  arrival  at  the  jail,  been 
searched  thoroughly,  having  been  stripped,  and  even  the 
folds  and  linings  of  his  garments  ripped  open,  to  see 
that  they  contained  no  correspondence.  Knowing  that 
nothing  whatever  could  have  been  found  against  him, 
unless,  indeed,  his  followers  had  also  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  Roundheads,  Harry  was  able  to  assume  a 
position  of  injured  innocence. 

"Your  tone  comports  not  with  your  condition,"  the 
Earl  of  Argyll  said  harshly.  "We  have  found  means 
here  to  make  men  of  sterner  mold  than  thine  speak  the 
truth,  and  in  the  interests  of  the  state  we  shall  not  hesi- 
tate to  use  them  against  you  also.  The  torturer  here 
hath  instruments  which  would  tear  you  limb  from  limb, 
and,  young  sir,  these  will  not  be  spared  unless  that 
cnalapert  tongue  of  thine  gives  us  the  information  we 
desire  to  learn." 

"I  decline  to  answer  any  questions  beyond  what  I  have 
already  said,"  Harry  replied  firmly.  "I  tell  you  that  I. 
am  an  English  gentleman  traveling  here  on  my  own 
private  business,  and  it  were  foul  wrong  for  me  to  be 
seized  and  punished  upon  the  suspicion  of  such  a  one  aa 
that  man  there;"  and  he  pointed  contemptuously  to  the 
preacher. 

"You  wilt  be  brought  up  again  in  two  days,"  the  earl 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

said,  "and  if  by  that  time  you  have  not  made  up  youy 
mind  to  confess  all,  it  will  go  hard  with  you.  Think 
not  that  the  life  of  a  varlet  like  you  will  weigh  for  one 
moment  in  the  scale  with  the  safety  of  the  nation,  01 
that  any  regard  for  what  you  may  consider  in  England 
the  usages  of  war  will  prevail  here/' 

He  waved  his  hand,  and  Harry  was  conducted  back  to 
jail,  feeling  far  more  uneasy  than  he  had  done,  for  ho 
knew  that  in  Scotland  very  different  manners  prevailed, 
to  those  which  characterized  the  English.  In  England, 
throughout  the  war,  no  unnecessary  bloodshed  took 
place,  and  up  to  that  time  the  only  persons  executed  in 
cold  blood  had  been  the  two  gentlemen  convicted  of  en- 
deavoring to  corrupt  the  Parliament  in  favor  of  the 
king.  But  in  Scotland,  where  civil  broils  were  constant, 
blood  was  ever  shed  recklessly  on  both  sides;  houses  were 
given  to  the  flames;  men,  women,  and  children  slaugh- 
tered; lands  laid  waste;  and  all  the  atrocities  which  civil 
war,  heightened  by  religious  bigotry,  could  suggest, 
perpetrated. 

Late  that  evening,  the  door  of  the  prison  opened,  and 
a  preacher  was  shown  into  the  room. 

"I  have  come,'*  he  said  in  a  nasal  tone,  "misguided 
young  man,  to  pray  you  to  consider  the  wickedness  of 
your  ways.  It  is  written  that  the  ungodly  shall  perish? 
and  I  would  fain  lead  you  from  the  errors  of  your  way 
before  it  is  too  Iate0" 

Harry  had  started  as  the  speaker  began;  but  he  re- 
jnained  immovable  until  the  jailer  closed  the  door. 

"Jacob,"  he  exclaimed,  "how  mad,  how  imprudent  of 
you!  I  ordered  you  specially,  if  I  was  arrested,  to  pay 
no  heed,  but  to  make  your  way  north." 

"I  know  that  you  did,"  Jacob  said.  "But  yon  see 
you  yourself  talked  of  remaining  for  three  days  in  Edin- 
burgh. Therefore,  I  knew  that  there  could  be  no  press- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

ing  need  of  my  journey  north;  and  hearing  some  whis- 
pers of  the  intention  of  the  lord  president  to  extract 
from  a  certain  prisoner  the  news  of  a  plot  with  which  he 
was  supposed  to  be  connected,  I  thought  it  even  best  to 
come  and  see  you." 

"But  how  have  you  obtained  this  garb?"  Harry  asked; 
"and  how,  above  all,  have  you  managed  to  penetrate 
hither?" 

•''Truly/'  Jacob  said,  "I  have  undertaken  a  difficult 
task  in  thy  behalf,  for  I  have  to-night  to  enter  into  a 
disputation  with  many  learned  divines,  and  I  dread  that 
more  than  running  the  risk  of  meeting  the  Earl  of 
Argyll,  who,  they  say,  has  the  face  of  a  fox,  and  the 
heart  of  a  devil." 

"What  mean  you?"  Harry  asked. 

"After  we  saw  you  dragged  off  by  the  townsmen,  on 
being  denounced  by  that  little  preacher  whose  hat  I 
spoiled  in  St.  Paul's  churchyard,  we  followed  your 
orders,  and  made  back  to  our  hostelry.  There  William 
Long  and  myself  talked  the  matter  over.  In  the  first 
place,  we  took  all  the  papers  and  documents  which  were 
concealed  about  us,  and  lifting  a  board  in  the  room,  hid 
them  beneath  it,  so  that  in  case  of  our  arrest  they  would 
be  safe.  As  we  took  out  the  documents,  the  commission 
which  we  borrowed  from  the  preachers  met  our  eyes, 
and  it  struck  me  that,  armed  with  this,  we  might  be 
enabled  to  do  you  servicec  I  therefore  at  once  purchased 
cloaks  and  hats  fitting  for  us  as  worthy  divines  from 
London,  and  then,  riding  a  mile  or  two  into  the  coun- 
try, we  changed  our  garments,  and  entered  the  good  city 
of  Edinburgh  as  English  divines.  We  proceeded  direct 
to  the  house  of  the  chief  presbyter,  to  whom  the  letters 
of  commission  were  addressed,  and  were  received  by  him 
with  open  arms.  I  trust  that  we  played  our  part  rarely, 
and,  in  truth,  the  unctuousness  and  godliness  of  Will- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  225 

iam  Longx  passeth  belief,  and  he  plays  his  part  well. 
Looking  as  he  does  far  older  than  I — although  in  these 
days  of  clean-shaven  faces  I  can  make  up  rarely  for 
thirty — he  assumed  the  leading  part.  The  presbyter 
would  fain  have  summoned  a  number  of  his  divines  for  a 
discussion  this  evening.  But  we,  pleading  fatigue, 
begged  him  to  allow  us  two  days  of  rest.  He  has,  how- 
ever, invited  a  few  of  his  fellows,  and  we  are  to  wrestle 
with  them  this  evening  in  argument.  How  we  shall  get 
out  of  it  I  know  not,  for  my  head  is  altogether  in  igno- 
rance of  the  points  in  issue.  However,  there  was,  among 
the  documents  of  the  preachers,  one  setting  forth  the 
points  in  which  the  practice  of  the  sect  in  England  and 
Scotland  differed,  with  the  heads  of  the  arguments  to  be 
used.  We  have  looked  through  these,  and,  as  well  as 
we  could  understand  the  jumble  of  hard  words,  have 
endeavored  to  master  the  points  at  issue,  so  we  shall  to- 
night confine  ourselves  to  a  bare  exposition  of  facts,  and 
shall  put  off  answering  the  arguments  of  the  other  side 
until  the  drawn  battle,  which  will  be  fixed  for  the  day 
after  to-morrow.  By  the  way,  we  accounted  for  the 
absence  of  our  colleague  by  saying  that  he  fell  sick  on 
the  way." 

"But  what  is  the  use  of  all  this  risk?"  Harry  asked, 
laughing  at  the  thought  of  his  two  followers  discussing 
theology  with  the  learned  divines  of  the  Scotch  Church. 

"That,  in  truth,"  Jacob  said,  "I  do  not  yet  exactly  see; 
but  I  trust  that  to-morrow  we  shall  have  contrived  some 
plan  of  getting  you  out  of  this  prison.  I  shall  return  at 
the  same  time  to-morrow  evening." 

"How  did  you  get  in  here?"  he  asked. 

"I  had  an  order  from  the  chief  presbyter  for  entry. 
Saying  that  I  believed  I  knew  you,  and  that  my  words 
might  have  some  effect  in  turning  you  from  the  evil  of 
your  ways,  I  volunteered  to  exhort  you,  and  shall  give 


126  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

such  an  account  of  my  mission  as  will  lead  them  to  give 
me  a  pass  to  see  yon  again  to-morrow  night." 

The  following  evening  Jacob  again  called,  this  time 
accompanied  by  William.  They  brought  with  them  an- 
other dress  similar  to  their  own.  Their  visit  was  an 
hour  later  than  upon  the  preceding  evening. 

(il  learned/'  Jacob  said,  "that  the  guard  was  changed 
at  eight  o'clock,  and  it  is  upon  this  that  the  success 
of  our  scheme  depends.  William  will  immediately  leave, 
and  as  he  has  been  seen  to  enter  by  the  guards  without, 
and  by  those  at  the  prison  gate,  he  will  pass  out  without 
questioning.  In  half  an  hour  a  fresh  guard  will  be 
placed  at  both  these  points,  and  you  and  I  will  march 
out  together,  armed  with  permission  for  two  preachers 
to  pass." 

The  scheme  appeared  a  hopeful  one,  and  William  took 
his  departure  after  a  few  minutes,  saying  to  the  guards 
without  that  he  went  to  fetch  a  book  of  reference  which 
he  needed  to  convince  the  hard-hearted  reprobate  within. 
He  left  the  door  partly  ajar,  and  the  guards  without 
were  edified  by  catching  snatches  of  a  discourse  of  ex- 
ceeding godliness  and  unction,  delivered  by  the  preacher 
to  the  prisoner. 

Presently  a  trampling  without  informed  Harry  and 
Jacob  that  the  guard  was  being  changed,  and  half  an 
hour  later  they  opened  the  door,  and  Jacob,  standing 
for  a  moment  as  they  went  out,  addressed  a  few  words 
of  earnest  exhortation  to  the  prisoner  supposed  to  be 
within,  adjuring  him  to  bethink  himself  whether  it  was 
better  to  sacrifice  his  life  in  the  cause  of  a  wicked  king 
than  to  purchase  his  freedom  by  forsaking  the  error  of 
his  ways,  and  turning  to  the  true  belief.  Then,  closing 
the  door  after  him,  Jacob  strode  along,  accompanied  by 
Harry,  to  the  guardroom.  They  passed  through  the 
yard  of  the  prison  to  the  gate.  There  Jacob  produced 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  127 

his  pass  for  the  entrance  and  exit  of  two  divines,  and  the 
guard,  suspecting  no  evil,  at  once  suffered  them  to  go 
forth.  William  had  already  been  to  the  inn  where  they 
stopped,  and  had  told  the  host  that  he  was  charged  to 
examine  the  chamber  where  the  persons  who  abode  there 
upon  the  previous  day  had  stopped.  There  he  had 
taken  the  various  documents  from  their  hiding-place, 
and  had  made  his  way  from  the  city.  Outside  the  gates 
he  was  joined  by  the  others,  and  all,  at  a  speedy  but  still 
dignified  pace,  made  their  way  to  the  spot  where  the 
horses  were  concealed,  in  a  little  wood  in  a  retired  valley. 
Here  they  changed  their  dress,  and,  making  a  bonfire  of 
the  garments  which  they  had  taken  off,  mounted  their 
horses,  and  rode  for  the  north. 


128  FRIEND8,  THOUGH  DIV1DKD. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

MONTROSE. 

THEY  stopped  for  the  night  at  a  village  fifteen  miles 
away  from  Edinburgh,  and  after  they  had  had  their 
supper  Harry  inquired  of  Jacob  how  his  dispute  with 
the  divines  had  passed  off  the  evening  before. 

Jacob  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughter. 

"It  was  the  funniest  thing  you  ever  saw,"  he  said. 
"Imagine  a  large  room,  with  the  chief  presbyter  sitting 
at  a  table,  and  eight  other  men,  with  sour  countenances 
and  large  turned-down  collars  and  bands,  sitting  round 
it.  William  Long  and  I  faced  them  at  the  other  end, 
looking  as  grave  and  sanctimonious  as  the  rest  of  them. 
The  proceedings  were,  of  course,  opened  with  a  lengthy 
prayer,  and  then  the  old  gentleman  in  the  center  intro- 
duced us  as  the  commissioners  from  London.  William 
rose,  and  having  got  up  by  heart  the  instructions  to 
the  commissioners,  he  said  that  he  would  first  briefly 
introduce  to  his  fellow  divines  the  points  as  to  which 
differences  appeared  to  exist  between  the  Presbyterians 
of  the  north  and  those  of  the  south,  and  concerning 
which  he  was  instructed  to  come  to  an  agreement 
with  them.  First,  he  gave  a  list  of  the  points  at 
variance;  then  he  said  that  he  understood  that  these, 
quoting  from  his  document,  were  the  views  of  his  Scotch 
brethren;  and  he  then  proceeded  to  give  briefly  the 
arguments  with  which  he  had  been  famished.  He  said 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  129 

that  his  reverend  brother  and  himself  were  much  wearied 
with  long  travel,  and  that  they  would  fain  defer  the  de- 
bate for  another  two  days.,  but  that  in  the  meantime  they 
would  be  glad  to  hear  the  views  of  their  friends.  Then 
did  one  after  another  of  these  eight  worthy  men  rise, 
and  for  six  mortal  hours  they  poured  forth  their  views. 
I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  most  difficult  to  avoid 
laughter  or  yawning;  but,  indeed,  Master  Harry,  it  was  a 
weary  time.  I  dared  not  look  at  William,  for  he  put 
such  grave  attention  and  worshipful  reverence  on  his 
face  that  you  would  have  thought  he  had  been  born  and 
bred  to  the  work.  "When  the  last  of  the  eight  had  sat 
down  he  rose  again,  and  expressed  a  marvelous  admira» 
tion  of  the  learning  and  eloquence  which  his  brethren 
had  displayed.  Many  of  their  arguments  he  said,  were 
new  to  him — and  in  this,  indeed,  I  doubt  not  he  spoke 
truth — and  he  perceived  that  it  would  be  hard  to  answer 
all  that  they  had  so  learnedly  adduced.  Upon  the  other 
hand,  he  had  much  to  say;  but  he  was  willing  to  allow 
that  upon  some  points  he  should  have  difficulty  in  com- 
bating their  views.  He  prayed  them,  therefore,  to  defer 
the  meeting  for  two  days,  when  he  would  willingly  give 
them  his  views  upon  the  subject,  and  his  learned  brother 
would  also  address  them.  He  proposed  that  the  party 
should  be  as  small  a  one  as  that  he  saw  before  him,  and 
that,  after  hearing  him,  they  should,  if  possible,  come 
to  some  arrangement  upon  a  few,  at  least,  of  the  points 
indispute,  so  as  to  leave  as  small  a  number  as  might  be 
open  to  for  the  public  disputation  which  would  follow. 
The  worshipful  party  appeared  mightily  taken  with  tho 
idea,  and,  after  an  hour's  prayer  from  the  chairman,  we 
separated.  I  hardly  slept  all  night  for  laughing,  and  \ 
would  give  much  to  see  the  faces  of  that  honorable  conn' 
cil  when  they  hear  that  they  have  been  fooled." 

"You  have  both  shown  great  wisdom,  Jacob,"  Ham 


130  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

said,  "and  have  behaved  in  a  sore  strait  with  much 
judgment  and  discretion.  It  was  lucky  for  you  that 
your  reverend  friend  did  not,  among  his  eight  cham- 
pions, think  of  inviting  our  little  friend  from  London, 
for  I  fear  that  he  would  at  once  have  denounced  you  as 
not  being  the  divines  whose  credentials  you  presented." 

"I  was  afraid  of  that/'  Jacob  said,  "and  therefore 
begged  him  specially,  on  this  our  first  conference,  to 
have  only  ministers  of  his  own  circle  present.  He  men- 
tioned that  one  or  two  godly  ministers  from  London 
were  present  in  the  capital.  I  replied  that  I  was  well 
aware  of  that,  but  that,  as  these  men  were  not  favored 
with  the  instructions  of  the  convention,  and  knew  not 
the  exact  turn  which  affairs  had  taken  up  to  the  period 
of  my  leaving,  their  presence  might  be  an  embarrass- 
ment— which,  indeed,  was  only  the  truth." 

"We  must  make  a  circuit  to-morrow,"  Harry  said, 
"to  avoid  Stirling,  and  will  go  round  by  Doune,  and 
thence  make  for  the  north.  Once  among  the  mountains 
we  shall  be  safe  from  all  pursuit,  and  from  any  inter- 
ference by  the  Roundheads,  for  I  believe  that  the  clans 
of  this  part  are  all  in  favor  of  Montrose — Argyll's  power 
lying  far  to  the  west." 

"It  will  be  a  comfort,"  Jacob  said,  "not  to  be  obliged 
to  talk  through  one's  nose,  and  to  east  one's  eyes  up- 
ward. I  imagine  that  these  Highlanders  are  little  better 
than  savages." 

"That  is  so,"  Harry  said.  "They  are,  I  believe,  but 
little  changed  since  the  days  when  the  Romans  strug- 
gled with  them,  and  could  make  no  head  north  of  the 
Forth." 

The  next  day,  by  a  long  circuit,  they  traveled  round 
Stirling,  and  reached  the  bridge  of  Doune,  there  cross- 
ing the  Teith  unquestioned.  They  soon  left  the  main 
road,  and  struck  into  the  hills.  They  had  not  traveled 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  131 

far  when  three  strange  figures  suddenly  presented  them- 
selves. These  men  were  clad  in  a  garb  which  to  the  lads 
was  strange  and  wild  indeed.  The  kilt,  as  worn  by 
Highlanders  on  show  occasions  in  the  present  day  is  a 
garment  wholly  unlike  that  worn  by  their  ancestors, 
being,  indeed,  little  more  than  a  masquerade  dress. 
The  kilt  of  the  old  time  resembled  indeed  the  short  pet- 
ticoat now  worn  by  savage  peoples.  It  consisted  of  a 
great  length  of  cloth  wound  round  and  round  the  loins, 
and  falling  like  a  loose  petticoat  to  the  knees,  a  portion 
being  brought  over  one  shoulder,  and  then  wrapped 
round  and  round  the  body.  It  was  generally  of  dark 
material;  the  tartans  now  supposed  to  be  peculiar  to 
the  various  clans  being  then  unknown,  or  at  least  not 
worn  by  the  common  people,  although  the  heads  of  the 
clans  may  have  worn  scarfs  of  those  patterns.  A  High- 
land gentleman  or  chief,  however,  dressed  in  the  same 
garb  as  Englishmen — that  is,  in  armor,  with  doublet  and 
hose.  His  wild  followers  lived  in  huts  of  the  most 
primitive  description,  understood  no  language  but  their 
own,  obeyed  the  orders  of  their  chiefs  to  the  death,  and 
knew  nothing  either  of  kings  or  of  parliaments.  For 
arms  these  men  carried  a  broad  target  or  shield  made  of 
bull's  hide,  and  a  broadsword  of  immense  length  hang- 
ing behind  them,  the  hilt  coming  above  the  shoulder. 

What  they  said  the  lads  could  not  understand.  But 
when  Harry  repeated  the  word  "Montrose,"  the  High- 
landers nodded,  arid  pointed  to  signify  that  the  road 
they  were  pursuing  was  the  right  one,  and  two  of  them 
at  once  set  out  with  them  as  escorts. 

For  several  days  they  traveled  north,  stopping  at  little 
groups  of  cabins,  where  they  were  always  received  with 
rough  hospitality,  the  assertion  of  their  guides  that  they 
were  going  to  the  great  earl  being  quite  sufficient  pass- 
port for  them.  Bannocks  of  oatmeal  with  collops,  .sc-nse- 


^32  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

times  of  venison,  sometimes  of  mountain  sheep,  were 
always  at  their  service,  washed  down  by  a  drink  new  to 
the  boys,  and  which  at  first  brought  the  water  into  their 
eyes.  This  was  called  usquebaugh,  and  had  a  strange 
peaty  flavor,  which  was  at  first  very  unpleasant  to  them, 
but  to  which  before  they  left  Scotland  they  became  qu.  te 
accustomed.  The  last  two  days  they  traveled  upo.i 
broad  roads  again,  and  being  now  in  a  country  devoted 
to  the  Earl  of  Montrose,  were  under  no  apprehension 
whatever  of  interference. 

At  last  they  reached  the  place  where  the  earl  was  re- 
siding. His  castle  differed  in  no  way  from  those  of  the 
nobility  of  England.  It  was  surrounded  by  walls  and 
towers,  and  had  a  moat  and  other  means  of  defense. 
The  gate  was  guarded  by  men  similar  in  appearance  to 
their  guides,  but  dressed  in  better  material,  and  with 
£ome  attempt  at  uniformity.  Large  numbers  of  these 
were  gathered  in  the  courtyard,  and  among  them  were 
men-at-arms  attired  in  southern  fashion.  The  guides, 
having  performed  their  duty  of  conducting  these  strangers 
from  the  borders  of  their  country,  now  handed  them 
over  to  an  officer,  and  he,  upon  learning  their  errand, 
at  once  conducted  them  to  the  earl. 

Montrose  was  a  noble  figure,  dressed  in  the  height  of 
the  fashion  of  the  day.  His  face  was  oval,  with  a 
pointed  mustache;  long  ringlets  fell  round  his  head; 
and  his  bearing  was  haughty  and  majestic.  He  rose 
from  his  chair  and  advanced  a  step  toward  them. 

"Do  I  understand,"  he  said,  "that  you  are  bearers  of 
dispatches  from  his  gracious  majesty?" 

"We  are,  sir,"  Harry  said.  "The  king  was  pleased  to 
commit  to  me  various  documents  intended  for  your  eye. 
We  left  him  at  Oxford,  and  have  journeyed  north  with 
as  little  delay  as  might  be  in  these  times.  The  dis- 
patches, I  believe,  will  speak  for  themselves,  1  have  no 
oral  instructions  committed  to  me." 


-JARRV  AND  BIS  COMPANIONS  BEFORE  THE  EARL  OF  MONTROSE.— 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  133 

So  saying,  Harry  delivered  the  various  documents 
with  which  they  were  charged.  The  earl  instructed  the 
officer  to  see  that  they  were  well  lodged  and  cared  for, 
and  at  once  proceeded  to  his  private  cabinet  to  examine 
the  instructions  sent  him  by  the  king.  These  were  in 
effect  that,  so  soon  as  the  army  of  the  convention  moved 
south  from  Dundee,  he  should  endeavor  to  make  a  great 
raid  with  his  followers  upon  the  south,  specially  attack- 
ing the  country  of  Argyll,  so  as  to  create  a  diversion, 
and,  if  possible,  cause  the  recall  of  the  Scotch  army  to 
defend  their  own  capital. 

For  some  weeks  the  lads  stopped  with  Montrose. 
They  had  been  furnished  with  garments  suitable  to  their 
condition,  and  Harry  was  treated  by  the  earl  with  the 
greatest  kindness  and  courtesy.  He  often  conversed 
with  him  as  to  the  state  of  politics  and  of  military  affairs 
in  England,  and  expressed  himself  as  sanguine  that  he 
should  be  able  to  restore  the  authority  of  the  king  in 
Scotland. 

"These  sour  men  of  the  conventicles  have  ever  been 
stiff-necked  and  rebellious,"  he  said,  "and  have  enforced 
their  will  upon  our  monarchs.  I  have  not  forgotten,'3 
he  went  on,  striking  the  hilt  of  his  sword  angrily,  "the 
insults  which  were  put  upon  Queen  Mary  when  she  was 
preached  to  and  lectured  publicly  by  the  sour  fanatic 
Knox,  and  was  treated,  forsooth,  as  if  she  had  been  some 
trader's  daughter  who  had  ventured  to  laugh  on  a  Sun- 
day. Her  son,  too,  was  kept  under  the  control  of  these 
men  until  he  was  summoned  to  England.  It  is  time 
that  Scotland  were  rid  of  the  domination  of  these  knaves, 
and  if  I  live  I  will  sweep  them  from  the  land.  In 
courage  my  wild  men  are  more  than  a  match  for  the 
Lowlanders.  It  is  true  that  in  the  old  days  the  clans 
could  never  carry  their  forays  southward,  for,  unaccus- 
tomed to  discipline  and  unprovided  with  horses  or  even 


134  FRIE3D8,  THOU  OB 

with  firearms,  they  fared  but  badly  when  opposed  to 
steel-clad  men  and  knights  in  armor.  But  I  trust  it 
will  be  different  this  time.  1  cannot  hope  to  infuse  any 
great  discipline  among  them*  But  they  can  at  least  be 
taught  to  charge  in  line,  and  their  broad  claymores  may 
be  trusted  to  hew  a  way  for  them  through  the  lines  of 
the  Lowlanders.  1  trust,  above  all  things,  that  the  king 
will  not  be  persuaded  to  negotiate  with  the  traitors  who 
are  opposed  to  him.  I  know,  Master  Furness,  that, 
from  what  .>ou  have  said,  your  views  run  not  there  with 
mine,  and  that  you  think  a  compromise  is  desirable. 
But  you  do  not  know  these  fanatics  as  I  do.  While  they 
clamor  for  toleration,  they  are  the  narrowest  of  bigots, 
and  will  themselves  tolerate  nothing.  Already  I  have 
news  that  the  convention  between  the  Scotch  conventicle 
and  the  English  rebels  is  agreed  to,  and  that  an  order 
has  gone  forth  that  the  Presbyterian  rites  are  to  be 
observed  in  all  the  churches  of  Euglandc  They  say  that 
thousands  of  divines  will  be  turned  from  their  churches 
and  their  places  filled  with  ignorant  fanatics,  and  this 
they  call  religious  liberty.  Why,  when  Laud  was  in 
power  hia  rule  was  as  a  silken  thread  compared  to  the 
hempen  rope  of  these  bigots,  and  should  the  king  make 
terms  with  them,  it  will  be  only  to  rule  henceforth  at 
their  bidding,  and  to  be  but  an  instrument  in  their 
hand:  foi  enforcing  their  will  upon  the  people  of  these 
countries/* 

Much  a?  Harry  desired  peace  and  leaned  toward  com- 
promise, he  saw  that  there  was  much  in  what  the  earl 
said.  All  the  accounts  that  reached  them  from  the 
south  toid  of  the  iron  tyranny  which  was  being  exercised 
throughout  England  Everywhere  good  and  sincere 
men  were  being  driven  from  their  vicarages  to  live  how 
best  they  might,  for  refusing 'to  accept  the  terms  of  the 
convention.  Everywhere  their  places  were  filled  with 


VHIENDS,  THOUGH  DtVIDBD.  135 

men  at  once  ignorant,  bigoted,  and  intolerant;  holy 
places  were  desecrated;  the  cavalry  of  the  Commons  was 
stabled  in  St.  Paul's;  the  colored  windows  of  the  cathe- 
drals and  churches  were  everywhere  destroyed;  monu- 
ments were  demolished;  and  fanaticism  of  the  narrowest 
and  most  stringent  kind  was  rampant. 

During  the  time  they  spent  at  the  castle  the  lads 
were  greatly  amused  in  watching  the  sports  and  exer- 
cises of  the  Highlanders.  These  consisted  in  throwing 
great  stones  and  blocks  o£  wood,  in  contests  with  blunted 
claymores,  in  foot  races,  and  in  dances  executed  to  the 
wild  and  strange  music  of  the  bagpipes — music  which 
Jacob  declared  was  worse  than  the  caterwauling  upon  the 
housetops  in  Cheapside. 

The  lads  had  deferred  their  journey  south  owing  to 
the  troubled  state  of  the  country,  and  the  fact  that  the 
whole  of  the  south  of  Scotland  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
convention.  They  were  therefore  waiting  an  opportunity 
for  taking  ship  and  traveling  by  sea  into  Wales,  where 
the  followers  of  the  king  were  in  the  ascendency.  At 
length  the  earl  told  them  that  an  occasion  offered,  and 
that  although  he  would  gladly  keep  them  by  him  to 
accompany  him  when  he  moved  south,  if  they  considered 
that  their  duty  compelled  them  to  leave  he  would  place 
them  on  board  a  ship  bound  for  that  destination.  He 
did  not  furnish  them  with  any  documents,  but  bade  Harry 
repeat  to  the  king  the  sentiments  which  he  had  ex- 
pressed, which,  indeed,  were  but  the  repetition  of  loyal 
assurances  which  he  had  sent  south  by  a  trusty  messen- 
ger immediately  upon  their  arrival  at  the  castle. 

The  boat  in  which  they  embarked  was  a  small  one,  but 
was  fast;  which  proved  fortunate,  for  they  were  twice 
chased  by  ships  of  the  Parliament  They  landed,  how- 
ever, safely  at  Pembroke,  and  thence  made  their  way 
through  the  mountains  of  Wales  to  Hereford,  and  joined 
the  king,  who  was  still  at  Oxford. 


136  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Events  had  traveled  but  slowly  in  England;  the 
doings  of  the  convention  being  at  that  time  of  greater 
importance  than  those  of  the  armies.  On  the  19th  of 
January  the  Scotch  army  had  entered  England,  having 
marched  from  Edinburgh  through  the  snow.  The  Mar- 
quis of  Newcastle  was  in  winter  quarters  at  York.  The 
town  of  Newcastle  had  held  out  successfully  against  the 
Scots  The  English  regiments  in  Ireland  had  been  re- 
called; but  had  been  defeated  near  Nantwich  by  Sir 
Thomas  Fairfax.  Negotiation  after  negotiation  between 
the  king  and  the  Parliament  had  failed,  and  the  king 
had  issued  writs  for  a  Parliament  to  assemble  at  Oxford. 
This  met  on  the  2#d  of  January,  and  forty-three  peers 
and  a  hundred  and  eighteen  commoners  had  taken  their 
place  beside  many  absent  with  the  army.  Of  the  peers 
a  large  majority  were  with  the  Koyalist  Parliament  at 
Oxford  while  at  Westminster  a  majority  of  the  members 
sent  up  by  the  towns  assembled.  The  Royalist  Parlia- 
ment was  sitting  at  Oxford  when  Harry  arrived;  but 
their  proceedings  had  not  upon  the  whole  been  satisfac- 
tory to  the  king.  They  had,  indeed,  passed  votes  for 
the  raising  of  taxes  and  supplies;  but  had  also  insisted 
upon  the  king  granting  several  reforms.  Charles,  un- 
taught by  adversity,  was  as  obstinate  as  ever;  and 
instead  of  using  the  opportunity  for  showing  a  fair  dispo- 
sition to  redress  the  grievances  which  had  led  to  the  civil 
war,  and  to  grant  concessions  which  would  have  rallied 
all  moderate  persons  to  his  cause,  he  betrayed  much 
irritation  at  the  opposition  which  he  met  with,  and  the 
convocation  of  Parliament,  instead  of  bringing  matters 
nearer  to  an  issue,  rather  heightened  the  discontents  of 
the  times.  The  Parliament  at  Westminster,  upon  their 
side,  formed  a  council,  under  the  title  of  the  committee 
of  the  two  kingdoms,  consisting  of  seven  lords,  fourteen 
members  of  the  commons,  and  four  Scottish  commission- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  137 

ers,  into  whose  hands  the  entire  conduct  of  the  war,  the 
correspondence  with  foreign  states,  and  indeed  the  whole 
executive  power  of  the  kingdom  was  given. 

The  king  received  Harry  with  great  condescension  and 
favor,  and  heard  with  satisfaction  of  the  preparations 
which  Montrose  was  making  for  an  invasion  of  the  Low- 
lands of  Scotland,  and  promised  Sir  Henry  to  bestow  the 
rank  of  knighthood  upon  his  son  as  soon  as  he  attained 
the  age  of  twenty-one. 

For  some  weeks  Harry  resided  with  his  father  at  Fur- 
ness  Hall.  He  then  fell  back  into  Oxford  upon  the  ad- 
vance of  an  army  from  London  destined  to  besiege  that 
town.  This  force  was  far  greater  than  any  that  the  king 
could  raise.  It  consisted  of  two  separate  forces,  under 
the  command  of  Essex  and  Waller.  Presently  the  town 
was  besieged,  and  although  the  walls  were  very  strong, 
the  attacking  force  was  so  numerous  that  resistance 
appeared  to  be  hopeless.  On  the  night  of  the  3d  of 
Jane  the  king  left  the  city  secretly,  attended  only  by 
two  or  three  personal  friends,  and  passed  safely  between 
the  two  armies.  These,  instead  of  acting  in  unison,  in 
which  case  the  besieging  lines  would  have  been  com- 
plete, and  the  king  unable  to  leave  the  place,  were  kept 
apart  by  the  dissensions  of  their  generals.  A  council  of 
war  took  place,  and  Essex  determined  to  march  to  the 
west.  The  committee  in  London  ordered  him  to  retrace 
his  steps,  and  go  in  pursuit  of  the  king,  who  had  made 
for  Worcester.  But  Essex  replied  to  the  committee  that 
he  could  not  carry  on  war  in  pursuance  of  directions 
from  London,  and  that  all  military  discipline  would  be 
subverted  if  they  took  upon  themselves  to  direct  his 
plans. 

In  the  meantime,  Waller,  raising  the  siege  of  Oxford, 
had  gone  in  pursuit  of  the  king.  Charles,  seeing  that 
his  enemies  were  separated,  returned  to  Oxford,  where  he 


.138  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

was  received  with  great  enthusiasm,  and  the  whole  force 
there,  marching  out,  fell  upon  Waller  at  Cropredy 
Bridge,  near  Banbury,  ami  defeated  him.  Having  scat- 
tered the  rebels  here,  he  turned  his  course  west  in  pur- 
suit of  Essex,  for  his  force  was  sufficient  to  cope  with 
either  of  the  armies  separately,  although  he  had  been 
unable  to  meet  them  when  united. 

Harry  and  his  father  were  not  present  at  the  battle  of 
Cropredy  Bridge,  having  with  their  troops  left  Oxford 
on  the  approach  of  .the  Roundheads,  together  with  many 
other  bodies  of  cavalry,  as  they  could  do  no  good  in  the 
case  of  a  siege,  and  were  wanted  in  the  north,  where 
Rupert  was  on  his  way  to  take  the  command.  Joining 
his  force,  amounting  in  all  to  twenty  thousand  men, 
they  advanced  toward  York.  Leaving  the  greater  por- 
tion of  his  army  at  a  short  distance  away,  Rupert  entered 
York  with  two  thousand  men.  Newcastle  was  in  favor 
of  prudent  steps,  knowing  that  dissensions  existed  in  the 
Parliamentary  army  between  the  Scots  and  their  Eng- 
lish allies.  Prince  Rupert,  however,  insisted  that  he 
had  the  command  of  the  king  to  fight  at  once,  and  so, 
with  all  the  force  he  could  collect,  advanced  against  the 
Scots.  Newcastle  was  much  offended  at  the  domineer- 
ing manner  and  headstrong  course  of  the  prince  and 
took  no  part  in  the  forthcoming  battle,  in  which  his 
military  genius  and  caution  would  have  been  of  vast 
service  to  the  royal  cause. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  having  rested  two  days,  the 
Royalist  army  marched  out  against  the  Roundheads. 
The  contending  parties  met  on  Marston  Moor,  and  it  was 
late  in  the  evening  when  the  battle  began.  It  was  short 
but  desperate,  and  when  it  ended  four  thousand  one 
hundred  and  fifty"  men  had  been  killed.  Here,  as  in 
every  other  fight  in  which  he  was  engaged,  the  impetu- 
osity of  Prince  Rupert  proved  the  ruin  of  the  Royalists. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  139 

With  his  cavaliers  upon  the  right  of  the  Royalist  army 
he  charged  the  Scotch  horse,  scattered  them  in  every 
direction  and  rode  after  them,  chasing  and  slaying.  The 
center  of  each  army,  composed  of  infantry,  fought 
desperately,  and  without  much  advantage  to  either  side, 
But  upon  the  Royalist  left  the  fate  of  the  day  was  decidedo 
There  a  new  element  was  introduced  into  the  struggle, 
for  the  right  of  the  Roundhead  force  was  commanded  by 
Cromwell,  who  had  raised  and  disciplined  a  body  of 
cavalry  called  the  Ironsides.  These  men  were  all  fanat- 
ics in  religion  and  fought  with  a  sternness  and  vigor 
which  carried  all  before  them.  In  the  eastern  counties 
they  had  already  done  great  service;  but  this  was  the 
first  pitched  battle  at  which  they  had  been  present. 
Their  onslaught  proved  irresistible.  The  Royalist 
cavalry  upon  the  left  were  completely  broken,  and  the 
Roundhead  horse  then  charged  down  upon  the  rear  of 
the  king's  infantry.  Had  Rupert  rallied  his  men  and 
performed  the  same  service  upon  the  Parliament  infan- 
try, the  battle  might  have  been  a  drawn  one;  but,  intoxi« 
cated  with  victory,  he  was  chasing  the  Scottish  horse 
far  away,  while  Cromwell's  Ironsides  were  deciding  the 
fate  of  the  battle.  When  he  returned  to  the  field  all 
was  over.  Fifteen  hundred  prisoners,  all  the  artillery, 
and  more  than  a  hundred  banners  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  the  cavalry;  and  with  the  remnants  of  his  army 
Prince  Rupert  retired  with  all  haste  toward  Chester, 
while  Newcastle  left  York  and  embarked  at  Scarborough 
for  the  Continent. 

Colonel  Furness'  troop  had  been  with  the  wing  under 
Prince  Rupert,  and  deep  indeed  was  their  mortification 
when,  upon  returning  to  the  field  of  battle,  they  found 
that  all  was  lost. 

"Unless  a  very  different  discipline  is  introduced  upon 
our  side/'  Colonel  Furness  said  to  his  son  that  night  in 


140  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

York,  "it  is  clear  that  the  king's  cause  is  ruined.  The 
Ironsides  fight  in  a  solid  mass,  and,  after  having  given  a 
charge,  they  are  ready  at  order  to  wheel  about  and  to 
deliver  their  attack  wheresoever  their  general  commands 
them.  With  us,  no  sooner  do  we  defeat  the  enemy  than 
we  break  into  confusion,  each  man  scatters  in  pursuit  as 
if  we  were  hunting  a  fox,  and  when  at  last  we  draw  rein, 
miles  away  from  the  battle,  we  ever  find  that  upon  our 
return  our  footmen  have  been  defeated.  I  fear  much 
that  Prince  Rupert,  with  all  his  bravery,  is  a  hindrance 
rather  than  an  aid  to  the  Royal  cause.  His  counsels 
have  always  been  on  the  side  of  resistance.  He  has  sup- 
ported the  king  in  his  too  obstinate  insistance  upon  what 
he  deems  his  rights,  while  in  the  field  his  command  is 
fatal  to  us.  I  fear,  my  boy,  that  the  struggle  will  end 
badly,  and  I  foresee  bad  times  for  England,  and  for  all  of 
us  who  have  supported  the  cause  of  the  king.?J 

As  the  dispirited  army  marched  back  they  received 
news  which  somewhat  raised  their  hearts.  The  king 
had  marched  after  Essex  into  Cornwall,  and  there  had 
driven  him  into  sore  straits.  He  had  endeavored  to  in- 
duce Essex  to  make  a  general  treaty  of  peace;  but  the 
earl  replied  that  he  had  no  authority  to  treat,  and  that, 
even  did  he  do  so,  the  Parliament  would  not  submit  to 
be  bound  by  it.  With  a  considerable  portion  of  his 
cavalry,  he  succeeded  in  passing  through  the  Royal 
lines;  but  the  whole  of  the  infantry  under  General  Skip- 
pon  were  forced  to  capitulate,  the  king  giving  them 
honorable  terms,  and  requiring  only  the  surrender  of  the 
artillery,  arras,  and  ammunition.  The  whole  of  the 
army  returned  as  scattered  fugitives  to  London. 

The  king  resolved  again  to  march  upon  the  capital, 
Montrose  was  now  in  arms  in  Scotland,  and  had  gained 
two  considerable  victories  over  the  Covenanters.  The 
defeat  at  Marston  had  been  outbalanced  by  the  victories 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  141 

over  Waller  and  Essex,  and  the  Scotch,  alarmed  by  the 
successes  of  Montrose,  were  ready  to  listen  to  terms, 
Steadily  the  king  advanced  eastward,  and  at  Newbury 
the  armies  again  met.  As  upon  the  previous  occasion 
on  that  field,  the  battle  led  to  no  decisive  results.  Each 
side  fought  stoutly,  and  at  nightfall  separated  without 
achieving  substantial  results.  The  king  fell  back  upon 
Oxford,  and  the  Parliament  army  upon  Reading,  and 
negotiations  were  once  again  renewed  between  king  and 
Parliament. 


142  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 


CHAPTER  XII. 

AN  ESCAPE  FROM   PRISON. 

THERE  was  no  sadder  or  more  gloomy  face  among  the 
officers  of  the  Parliament  than  that  of  Herbert  Ripping- 
hall — sad,  not  from  the  sour  asceticism  which  distin- 
guished the  great  portion  of  these  officers,  but  from  his 
regrets  over  the  struggle  in  which  he  was  taking  a  part. 
While  Harry  Furness  saw  much  to  find  fault  with  in  the 
conduct  of  many  of  his  fellows,  and  in  the  obstinacy 
with  which  the  king  refused  to  grant  concessions  which 
might  up  to  this  time  have  restored  peace  to  the  land, 
Herbert,  on  his  side,  was  shocked  at  the  violence  and 
excessive  demands  on  the  part  of  the  Parliament,  and  at 
the  rank  hypocrisy  which  he  saw  everywhere  around 
him.  Both  lads  still  considered  that  the  balance  of 
justice  was  on  the  side  upon  which  they  fought.  But 
both,  Herbert  perhaps  because  more  thoughtful,  there- 
fore more  strongly,  saw  that  the  faults  upon  one  side 
balanced  those  upon  the  other.  Herbert  had  not  taken 
up  the  sword  willingly,  as  Harry  had  done.  He  was  by 
disposition  far  less  prone  to  adventure  and  more  given 
to  sober  thought,  and  the  violence  of  his  father  and  the 
bigoted  opinions  which  he  held  had  repelled  him  from 
rather  than  attracted  him  toward  the  principles  which 
he  advocated.  When,  however,  the  summons  came 
from  his  father  to  join  him  at  Reading,  with  the  rest  of 
the  hands  employed  in  the  business,  he  did  not  hesitate. 
He  still  hoped  that  the  pacific  party  in  Parliament  would 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

overcome  the  more  violent,  and  that  the  tyranny  of  a 
small  minority  toward  which  the  country  appeared  to  be 
drifting  would  be  nipped  in  the  bud. 

The  divisions,  indeed,  in  the  Parliament  were  far 
greater  than  in  the  councils  of  the  king.  Between  the 
Independents  and  the  Presbyterians  a  wide  gulf  existed. 
The  latter  party,  which  was  much  the  more  numerous 
in  Parliament,  and  which  had  moreover  the  countenance 
and  alliance  of  the  Scotch  Presbyterians,  viewed  with 
the  greatest  jealousy  the  increasing  arrogance  of  the  In- 
dependents and  of  the  military  party.  They  became 
alarmed  when  they  saw  that  they  were  rapidly  drifting 
from  the  rule  of  the  king  to  that  of  Cromwell,  and  that 
while  they  themselves  would  be  satisfied  with  ample  con- 
cessions and  a  certain  amount  of  toleration,  the  Inde- 
pendents were  working  for  much  more  than  this.  Upon 
the  Presbyterian  side,  Lord  Essex  was  regarded  as  their 
champion  with  the  army,  as  against  Cromwell,  Fairfax, 
and  Ireton.  So  strong  did  the  feeling  become  that  it 
was  moved  in  the  Commons  "that  no  member  of  either 
House  should,  during  the  war,  enjoy  or  execute  any 
office  or  command,  civil  or  military."  A  long  and 
furious  debate  followed;  but  the  ordinance  was  passed  by 
the  Lower  House,  and  went  up  to  the  Lords,  and  waa 
finally  passed  by  them. 

Now,  however,  occurred  an  episode  which  added 
greatly  to  the  religious  hatred  prevailing  between  the 
two  parties,  and  shocked  many  of  the  adherents  of  the 
Parliament  by  the  wanton  bigotry  which  it  displayed. 
Archbishop  Laud  had  now  lain  for  four  years  in  prison, 
and  by  an  ordinance  of  Parliament,  voted  by  only  seven 
lords,  he  was  condemned  for  high  -treason,  and  was  be- 
headed on  the  10th  of  January.  This  cruel  and  unnec- 
essary murder  showed  only  too  plainly  that  the  tolera- 
tion which  the  Dissenters  had  clamored  for  meant  only 


144  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  D IV Ik  fib 

toleration  for  themselves,  and  intolerance  toward  all 
others;  and  a  further  example  of  this  was  giver,  by  the 
passing  of  an  ordinance  forbidding  the  use  of  the  Liturgy 
of  the  Church  of  England  in  any  place  of  worship  in  the 
country. 

Rendered  nervous  hy  the  increasing  power  of  the  Inde- 
pendents, the  majority  in  Parliament  now  determined  to 
open  fresh  negotiations  with  the  king,  and  these  offered 
a  fairer  prospect  of  peace  than  any  which  had  hitherto 
preceded  them.  Commissioners  were  appointed  by  Par- 
liament and  by  the  king,  and  these  met  at  Uxbridge,  a 
truce  being  made  for  twenty  days.  Had  the  king  been 
endowed  with  any  sense  of  the  danger  of  his  position,  or 
any  desire  to  treat  in  a  straightforward  and  honest  man- 
ner with  his  opponents,  peace  might  now  have  been 
secured.  But  the  unfortunate  monarch  was  seeking  to 
cajole  his  foes  rather  than  to  treat  with  them,  and  his 
own  papers,  afterward  discovered,  show  too  plainly  that 
the  concessions  which  he  offered  were  meant  only  to  be 
kept  so  long  as  it  might  please  him.  The  twenty 
precious  days  were  frittered  away  in  disputes.  The  king 
would  grant  one  day  concessions  which  he  would  revoke 
the  next.  The  victories  which  Montrose  was  gaining  in 
the  north  had  roused  his  hopes,  and  the  evil  advice  of 
his  wife  and  Prince  Rupert,  and  the  earnest  remon- 
strances which  he  received  from  Moafcrose  against  sur- 
rendering to  the  demands  of  Parliament,  overpowered 
the  advice  of  his  wiser  counselors.  At  the  end  of  twenty 
days  the  negotiations  ceased,  and  the  commissioners  of 
Parliament  returned  to  London,  convinced  that  there 
was  no  hope  of  obtaining  a  permanent  peace  with  a  man 
so  vacillating  and  insincere  as  the  king. 

Herbert  had  been  with  his  father  at  Uxbridge,  as  the 
regiment  oi  foot  te  which  he  belonged  was  on  guard 
there,  and  it  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that  he  returned  to 


S,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  M5 

London,  convinced  that  the  war  must  go  on,  but  forbod- 
ing  as  groat  a  disaster  to  the  country  in  the  despotism 
which  he  saw  the  Independents  would  finally  establish 
as  in  the  despotism  of  King  Charles. 

There  was  a  general  gloom  in  the  city  when  the  news 
of  the  unsuccessful  termination  of  the  negotiations  be- 
came known.  The  vast  majority  of  the  people  were 
eagerly  desirous  of  peace.  The  two  years  which  the 
war  had  already  lasted  had  brought  nothing  save  ruin  to 
trade  and  general  disaster,  and  the  great  body  of  the 
public  who  were  not  tinged  with  the  intense  fanaticism 
of  the  Independents,  and  who  did  not  view  all  pleasure 
and  enjoyment  in  life  as  sinful,  longed  for  the  merry  old 
days  when  Englishmen  might  smile  without  being 
accused  of  sin,  and  when  life  was  not  passed  solely  in 
prayer  and  exhortation.  Several  small  riots  had  broken 
out  in  London;  but  these  were  promptly  suppressed. 
Among  the  'prentice  boys,  especially,  did  the  spirit  of 
revolt  against  the  gloomy  asceticism  of  the  time  prevail, 
and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  if  at  this  period,  or 
for  a  long  time  subsequent,  the  king  could  have  appeared 
suddenly  in  the  city  at  the  head  of  a  few  score  troops, 
he  would  have  been  welcomed  with  acclamation,  and 
the  great  body  of  the  citizens  would  have  rallied  round 
him. 

When  the  Parliament  commissioners  reached  London 
Fairfax  received  his  commission  as  sole  general  of  the 
army.  The  military  services  of  Cromwell  were  of  such 
importance  that  Fairfax  and  his  officers  urged  that  an 
exception  should  be  made  to  the  ordinance  in  his  case, 
and  that  he  should  be  temporarily  appointed  lieutenant- 
general  and  chief  commander  of  horse.  The  moderate 
party  yielded  to  the  demand  of  the  Independents.  The 
Earls  of  Essex,  Manchester,  and  Denbigh  gave  in  their 
resignations.  Many  of  the  more  moderate  advisers  of 


146  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Charles  also  retired  to  their  estates,  despairing  of  a  con- 
flict  in  which  the  king's  obstinacy  admitted  of  no  hope 
of  a  favorable  termination.  They,  too,  had,  as  much 
perhaps  as  the  members  of  the  recalcitrant  Parliament, 
hoped  for  reforms;  but  it  was  clear  that  the  king  would 
never  consent  to  reign  except  as  an  absolute  monarch, 
and  for  this  they  were  unprepared.  The  violent  party 
among  the  Cavaliers  now  ruled  supreme  in  the  councils 
of  Charles.  For  a  short  time  the  royal  cause  seemed  in 
the  ascendant.  Leicester  had  been  taken  by  storm^ 
Taunton  was  besieged,  Fairfax  was  surrounding  Oxford, 
but  was  doing  nothing  against  the  town.  On  the  5th  of 
June  he  was  ordered  to  raise  the  siege,  and  to  go  to  the 
Midland  counties  after  the  royal  army.  On  the  13th 
Fairfax  and  Cromwell  joined  their  forces,  and  pursued 
the  king,  whom  they  overtook  the  next  day  near  Naseby= 
Herbert  had  accompanied  the  army  of  Fairfax,  and 
seeing  the  number  and  resolution  of  the  troops,  he  hoped 
that  a  victory  might  be  gained  which  would  terminate 
for  good  and  all  this  disastrous  conflict.  The  ground 
round  Naseby  is  chiefly  moorland.  The  king's  army  was 
drawn  up  a  mile  from  Market  Harborough.  Prince 
Rupert  commanded  the  left  wing,  Sir  Marmaduke  Lang- 
dale  the  right,  Lord  Ashley  the  main  body.  Fairfax 
commanded  the  center  of  the  Eoundheads,  with  General 
Skippon  under  him.  Cromwell  commanded  the  right 
and  Ireton  the  left.  Rupert  had  hurried  on  with  his 
horse  in  advance,  and  coming  upon  the  Roundheads,  at 
once  engaged  them.  So  sudden  was  the  attack  that 
neither  party  had  formed  its  lines  for  battle,  and  the 
artillery  was  in  the  rear.  Between  the  armies  lay  a  wide 
level  known  as  Broadmoor.  It  was  across  this  that 
Rupert  had  ridden,  and  charging  up  the  hill  on  the 
other  side,  fell  upon  the  left  wing  of  Fairfax.  Crom- 
well, upon  the  other  hand,  from  the  extreme  right 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDBD.  147 

charged  down  the  hill  upon  Langdale's  squadrons. 
Prince  Rupert,  as  usual,  carried  all  before  him.  Shout- 
ing his  battle  cry,  "Queen  Mary,"  he  fell  upon  Ireton's 
left  wing,  and  drove  them  from  the  field,  chasing  them 
back  to  Naseby,  where,  as  usual,  he  lost  time  in  captur- 
ing the  enemy's  baggage.  Cromwell,  with  his  Ironsides, 
upon  the  other  hand,  had  broken  Langdale's  horse  and 
driven  them  from  the  field.  In  the  center  the  fight  was 
hot.  The  king's  foot  had  come  up  the  hill  and  poured 
volley  after  volley  into  the  parliament  ranks.  Hand  to 
hand  the  infantry  were  fighting,  and  gradually  the 
Roundheads  were  giving  way.  But  now,  as  at  Marston, 
Cromwell,  keeping  his  Ironsides  well  in  hand,  returned 
from  the  defeat  of  Langdale's  horse,  and  fell  upon  the 
rear  of  the  Royalists.  Fairfax  rallied  his  men  as  he  saw 
the  horse  coming  up  to  his  assistance.  Rupert's  troop- 
ers were  far  from  the  field,  and  a  panic  seizing  the  king's 
reserve  of  horse,  who  had  they  charged  might  have  won 
the  day,  the  Earl  of  Carnewarth,  taking  hold  of  King 
Charles'  horse,  forced  him  from  the  field,  and  the  battle 
ended,  with  the  complete  defeat  of  the  royal  troops, 
before  Rupert  returned  to  the  field  of  battle. 

The  Royalists  lost  in  killed  and  prisoners  five  thou- 
sand men,  their  twelve  guns,  and  all  their  baggage  train, 
and  what  was  of  even  greater  importance,  the  king's 
private  cabinet,  which  contained  documents  which  did 
more  to  precipitate  his  ruin  even  than  the  defeat  of  his 
army.  Here  were  found  letters  proving  that  while  he 
had  professed  his  desire  to  treat,  he  had  no  intention  of 
giving  way  in  the  slightest  degree.  Here  were  copies  of 
letters  to  foreign  princes  asking  for  aid,  and  to  the 
Papists  in  Ireland,  promising  all  kinds  of  concessions  if 
they  would  rise  in  his  favor.  Not  only  did  the  publica- 
tion of  this  correspondence  and  of  the  private  letters 
between  the  king  and  queen  add  to  the  indignation  of 


148  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

the  Commons  and  to  their  determination  to  fight  to  the 
bitterest  end,  but  it  disgusted  and  alienated  a  vast  num- 
ber of  Royalists  who  had  hitherto  believed  in  the  king 
and  trusted  to  his  royal  word. 

Among  the  prisoners  taken  at  Naseby  was  Harry  Fur- 
ness,  whose  troop  had  been  with  Langdale's  horse,  and 
who,  his  charger  having  been  shot,  had  fallen  upon  the 
fieid,  his  head  being  cut  by  the  sweep  of  the  sword  of  a 
Roundhead  soldier,  who  struck  at  him  as  he  was  lying  on 
the  ground.  Soon  after  the  battle,  when  it  became 
known  what  prisoners  had  been  taken,  he  was  visited  by 
his  friend  Herbert. 

"We  are  changing  sides,  Herbert,"  Harry  said,  with  a 
faint  smile.  "The  last  time  we  met  you  were  nigh  fall- 
^ng  into  the  hands  of  the  Royalists,  now  I  have  alto- 
gether fallen  into  yours." 

"Yes,  and  unfortunately,"  Herbert  said,  "I  cannot 
repeat  your  act  of  generosity.  However,  Harry,  I  trust 
that  with  this  great  battle  the  war  is  nearly  over,  and 
that  all  prisoners  now  taken  will  speedily  be  released. 
At  any  rate,  I  need  not  assure  you  that  you  will  have  my 
aid  and  assistance  in  any  matter." 

The  Parliamentary  leaders  did  not  allow  the  grass  to 
grow  under  their  feet  after  Naseby.  Prince  Rupert,  with 
a  considerable  force,  had  marched  to  Bristol,  and  Fair- 
fax and  Cromwell  followed  him  there.  A  considerable 
portion  of  the  prisoners  were  sent  to  London,  but  some 
were  retained  with  the  army.  Among  these  was  Harry 
Furness,  whom  it  was  intended  to  confine  with  many 
others  in  some  sure  place  in  the  south.  Under  a  guard 
they  were  conducted  to  Reading,  where  they  were  for 
awhile  to  be  kept.  Essex  and  Cromwell  advanced  to 
Bristol,  which  they  surrounded;  and  Prince  Rupert, 
after  a  brave  defense,  was  forced  to  capitulate,  upon 
terms  similar  to  those  which  had  been  granted  by  tha 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  149 

king  to  the  army  of  Lord  Essex  the  year  before.  In  his 
conduct  of  the  siege  the  prince  had  certainly  not  failed. 
But  this  misfortune  aroused  the  king's  anger  move  than 
the  faults  which  had  done  such  evil  service  on  the  fields 
of  Naseby  and  Marston,  and  he  wrote  to  the  prince, 
ordering  him  to  leave  the  kingdom  at  once. 

It  would  have  been  well  had  King  Charles  here  ceased 
the  struggle,  for  the  cause  of  the  Royalists  was  now 
hopeless.  Infatuated  to  the  last,  however,  and  deeming 
ever  that  the  increasing  contentions  and  ill-will  between 
the  two  parties  in  Parliament  would  finally  end  by  om 
of  them  bidding  for  the  Royal  support,  and  agreeing  to 
his  terms,  the  king  continued  the  contest.  Here  and 
there  isolated  affrays  took  place;  risings  in  Kent  and 
other  counties  occurring,  but  being  defeated  summarily 
by  the  vigor  of  Fairfax  and  his  generals. 

The  time  passed  but  slowly  with  Harry  at  Reading. 
He  and  his  fellow-prisoners  were  assigned  quarters  in  a 
large  building,  under  the  guard  of  a  regiment  of  Parlia- 
ment troops.  Their  imprisonment  was  not  rigorous. 
They  were  fairly  fed  and  allowed  exercise  in  a  large 
courtyard  which  adjoined  the  house.  The  more  reckless 
spirits  sang,  jested,  wrote  scurrilous  songs  on  the  Round- 
heads, and  passed  the  time  as  cheerfully  as  might  be. 
Harry,  however,  with  the  restlessness  of  his  age,  longed 
for  liberty.  He  knew  that  Prince  Charles  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  army  in  the  west,  and  he  longed  to  join  him 
and  try  once  more  the  fortunes  of  battle.  The  guard 
set  round  the  building  was  close  and  vigilant,  and  the 
chances  of  escape  appeared  small.  Still,  Harry  thought 
that  if  he  could  escape  from  an  upper  window  on  a  dark 
night  he  could  surely  make  his  way  through  the  line  of 
sentries.  He  had  observed  on  moonlight  nights  the 
exact  position  which  each  of  these  occupied.  The  inter- 
vals were  short  between  them;  but  it  would  be  quite 


150  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

possible  on  a  dark  night  for  a  person  to  pass  noiselessly 
without  being  perceived.  The  watch  would  hare  been 
even  more  strict  than  it  was,  had  not  the  Puritans  re- 
garded the  struggle  as  virtually  at  an  end,  and  were, 
therefore,  less  careful  as  to  their  prisoners  than  they 
would  otherwise  have  been.  Harry  prepared  for  escape 
by  tearing  up  the  blankets  of  his  bed  and  knotting  them 
into  ropes.  A  portion  he  wrapped  round  his  shoes,  so 
as  to  walk  noiselessly,  and  taking  advantage  of  a  dark, 
moonless  night,  when  the  fog  hung  thick  upon  the  low 
land  round  Reading,  he  opened  his  window,  threw  out 
his  rope,  and  slipped  down  to  the  ground. 

So  dark  was  the  fog  that  it  was  difficult  for  him  to  see 
two  paces  in  advance,  and  he  soon  found  that  the  care- 
ful observations  which  he  had  taken  of  the  place  of  the 
sentries  would  be  altogether  useless.  Still,  in  the  dark- 
ness and  thickness  of  the  night,  he  thought  that  the 
chance  of  detection  was  small.  Creeping  quietly  and 
noiselessly  along,  he  could  hear  the  constant  challenges 
of  the  sentries  round  him.  These,  excited  by  the  un- 
usual darkness  of  the  night,  were  unusually  vigilant. 
Harry  approached  until  he  was  within  a  few  yards  of  the 
line,  and  the  voices  of  the  men  as  they  challenged  enabled 
him  to  ascertain  exactly  the  position  of  those  on  the 
right  and  left  of  him.  Passing  between  these,  he  could 
see  neither,  although  they  were  but  a  few  paces  on 
either  hand,  and  he  would  have  got  off  unobserved  had 
he  not  suddenly  fallen  into  a  deep  stream  running  across 
his  way,  and  which  in  the  darkness  he  did  not  see  until 
he  fell  into  it.  At  the  sound  there  was  an  instant  chal- 
lege,  and  then  a  piece  was  discharged.  Harry  struggled 
across  the  stream,  and  clambered  out  on  the  opposite 
side.  As  he  did  so  a  number  of  muskets  were  fired  in 
his  direction  by  the  men  who  came  rushing  up  to  the 
point  of  alarm.  One  ball  struck  him  in  the  shoulder. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  151 

The  rest  whizzed  harmlessly  by,  and  at  the  top  of  his 
speed  he  ran  forward. 

He  was  now  safe  from  pursuit,  for  in  the  darkness  of 
the  night  it  would  have  been  absolutely  impossible  to 
follow  him.  In  a  few  minutes  he  ceased  running,  for 
when  all  became  quiet  behind  him,  he  could  no  longer 
tell  in  what  direction  he  was  advancing.  So  long  as  he 
could  hear  the  shouts  of  the  sentries  he  continued  his 
way,  and  then,  all  guidance  being  lost,  he  lay  down 
under  a  hedge  and  waited  for  morning.  It  was  still 
thick  and  foggy;  but  wandering  aimlessly  about  for  some 
time,  he  succeeded  at  last  in  striking  upon  a  road,  and 
judging  from  the  side  upon  which  he  had  entered  it  in 
which  direction  Reading  must  lie,  he  took  the  western 
way  and  went  forward.  The  ball  had  passed  only 
through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  shoulder,  missing  the 
bone;  and  although  it  caused  him  much  pain,  he  was 
able,  by  wrapping  his  arm  tightly  to  his  body,  to  pro- 
ceed. More  than  once  he  had  to  withdraw  from  the 
road  into  the  fields  beyond,  when  he  heard  troops  of 
horse  galloping  along. 

After  a  long  day's  walk  he  arrived  near  Abingdon, 
and  there  made  for  the  hall.  Instead  of  going  to  the 
door  he  made  for  the  windows,  and,  looking  in,  saw  a 
number  of  Eoundhead  soldiers  m  the  hall,  and  knew  that 
there  was  no  safety  for  him.  As  he  glanced  in  one  of 
the  soldiers  happened  to  cast  his  eyes  up,  and  gave  a 
shout  on  seeing  a  figure  looking  in  at  the  window.  In- 
stantly the  rest  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  started  out  to 
secure  the  intruder.  Harry  fled  along  the  road,  and 
soon  reached  Abingdon.  He  had  at  first  thought  of 
making  for  one  of  his  father's  farms;  but  he  felt  sure 
that  here  also  Roundhead  troops  would  be  quartered. 
After  a  moment's  hesitation  he  determined  to  make  for 
Mr.  Rippinghall's.  He  knew  the  premises  accurately, 


L*>%  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

*nd  thought  that  he  might  easily  take  refuge  in  the 
warehouses,  in  which  large  quantities  of  wool  were  wont 
to  be  stored.  The  streets  were  deserted,  for  it  was  now 
late  at  night,  and  he  found  his  way  without  interrup- 
tion to  the  wool-stapler's.  Here  he  climbed  over  a  wall, 
made  his  way  into  the  warehouse,  and  clambering  over  a 
large  number  of  bales,  laid  himself  down  next  to  the 
wall,  secure  from  any  casual  observation.  Here  he  went 
off  to  sleep,  and  it  was  late  next  day  before  he  opened 
his  eyes.  He  was  nearly  uttering  an  exclamation  at  the 
pain  which  his  movement  on  waking  gave  to  his  wounded 
arm.  He,  however,  repressed  it,  and  it  was  well  he  did 
so,  as  he  heard  voices  in  the  warehouse.  Men  were  re- 
moving bales  of  wool,  and  for  some  hours  this  process 
went  on.  Harry,  being  well  back,  had  little  fear  that 
he  should  be  disturbed. 

The  hours  passed  wearily.  He  was  parched  and  fever- 
ish from  the  pain  of  his  wound,  and  was  unable  to  de- 
liberate as  to  his  best  course.  Sometimes  he  dozed  off 
into  snatches  of  sleep,  and  after  one  of  these  he  found 
that  the  warehouse  was  again  silent,  and  that  darkness 
had  set  in.  He  determined  to  wait  at  least  for  another 
day,  and  also  that  he  would  early  in  the  morning  look 
out  from  the  window  before  the  men  entered,  in  hopes 
that  he  might  catch  sight  of  his  old  playfellow,  Lucy, 
who  would,  he  felt  sure,  bring  him  some  water  and  re- 
freshment if  she  were  able.  Accordingly,  in  the  morn- 
ing, he  took  his  place  so  as  to  command  a  view  of  the 
garden,  and  presently  to  his  great  surprise  he  saw  Her- 
bert, whom  he  had  believed  with  the  army,  come  out 
together  with  Lucy.  They  had  not  taken  four  paces  in 
the  garden  when  their  attention  was  attracted  by  a  tap 
at  the  window,  and  looking  up,  they  were  astonished  at 
beholding  Harry's  pale  face  there.  With  an  exclama- 
tion of  surprise  they  hurried  into  the  warehouse. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  153 

"My  dear  Harry/'  Herbert  exclaimed,  "how  did  you 
get  here?  The  troops  have  been  searching  for  you  high 
and  low.  Your  escape  from  Reading  was  bruited  abroad 
a  few  hours  after  it  took  place,  and  the  party  at  the  hall 
having  reported  seeing  some  one  looking  in  at  the  win- 
dow, there  was  no  doubt  felt  that  you  had  gained  this 
neighborhood,  and  a  close  watch  has  been  kept.  All 
your  father's  farms  have  been  carefully  examined,  and 
their  occupants  questioned,  and  the  general  belief  is  that 
you  are  still  hidden  somewhere  near." 

"I  got  a  ball  through  my  shoulder,"  Harry  said,  "in 
making  my  way  through  the  sentries,  and  have  felt  my- 
self unable  to  travel  until  I  could  obtain  some  food.  I 
thought  that  I  should  be  safer  from  search  here,  and 
believing  you  were  away  in  the  army,  thought  that  your 
sister  would  perhaps  be  moved  by  compassion  to  aid  her 
old  playfellow." 

"Yes,  indeed,"  the  girl  said;  "I  would  have  done 
anything  for  you,  Harry.  To  think  of  your  being  hid- 
den so  close  to  us,  while  we  were  sleeping  quietly.  I 
will  at  once  get  you  some  food,  and  then  you  and  Her- 
bert can  talk  over  what  is  best  to  be  done." 

So  saying  she  ran  into  the  house,  and  returned  in  a 
few  minutes  with  a  bowl  of  milk  and  some  freshly  made 
oakes,  which  Harry  drank  and  ate  irayenously.  In  the 
meantime,  he  was  discussing  with  HeToert  what  was  the 
best  course  to  pursue. 

"It  would  not  be  safe,"  Herbert  said,  "for  you  to  try 
and  journey  further  at  present.  The  search  for  you  is 
very  keen,  and  it  happens,  unfortunately,  that  the 
officer  in  command  here  is  the  very  man  whose  face  you 
sliced  when  he  came  to  Furness  Hall  some  two  years 
back.  It  would  be  a  bad  thing  for  you  were  you  to  fall 
into  hi?  hands." 

Lucy  at  first  proposed  that  Harry  should  be  taken  into 


154  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  house,  and  go  at  once  to  bed.  She  and  Herbert 
could  then  give  out  that  a  friend  had  arrived  from  a 
distance,  who  was  ill,  and,  waiting  upon  him  themselves, 
could  prevent  suspicion  being  attracted.  This,  however, 
Herbert  did  not  think  would  be  safe.  It  would  be  asked 
when  the  inmate  had  arrived,  and  who  he  was,  and  why 
the  servants  should  not,  as  usual,  attend  upon  him. 

"I  think,"  he  said,  "that  if  to-night  I  go  forth,  hav- 
ing said  at  dinner  in  the  hearing  of  the  servant  that  I 
am  expecting  a  friend  from  London,  you  can  then  jdfii 
me  outside,  and  return  with  me.  You  must  crop  off 
those  long  ringlets  of  yours,  and  turn  Roundhead  for 
the  nonce.  I  can  let  you  have  a  sober  suit  which  was 
made  for  me  when  I  was  in  London,  and  which  has  not 
yet  been  seen  by  my  servants.  I  can  say  that  you  are  in 
bad  health,  and  this  will  enable  you  to  remain  at  home, 
keeping  upon  a  couch  to  nurse  your  shoulder/' 

"The  shoulder  is  of  no  consequence,'*  Harry  saidc 
"A  mere  flesh  wound  like  that  would  not  detain  me  u 
day  from  the  saddle.  It  is  only  the  fatigue  and  loss  of 
blood,  together  with  want  of  food,  which  has  weakened 
me." 

As  no  other  course  presented  itself  this  was  followed. 
Harry  remained  during  the  day  in  his  place  of  conceal- 
ment in  the  warehouse,  and  at  nightfall  went  oat,  and, 
being  joined  by  Herbert,  returned  with  him  to  the 
house.  The  door  was  opened  by  Lucy  and  he  entered 
unperceived  by  the  domestics.  The  first  operation  was 
to  cut  off  the  whole  of  his  hair  close  to  his  head.  He 
was  then  attired  in  Herbert's  clothes,  and  looked,  as 
Lucy  told  him,  a  quiet  and  decent  young  gentleman. 
Then  he  took  his  place  on  a  couch  in  the  sitting-room, 
and  Herbert  rung  for  supper,  which  he  had  ordered  to 
be  prepared  for  a  guest  as  well  as  for  Lucy  and  himself. 


,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  155 


CHAPTER    XIIL 

PUBLIC    EVENTS. 

FOR  some  days  Harry  remained  quietly  with  his  friend, 
He  did  not  stir  beyond  the  door,  although  he  had  but 
little  fear  of  any  of  his  old  friends  recognizing  him, 
The  two  years  which  had  passed  since  he  was  at  school 
had  greatly  changed  his  appearance,  and  his  closely-cut 
hair,  and  the  somber  and  Puritanical  cut  of  his  garments 
so  completely  altered  him  that  it  would  have  been  a 
keen  eye  indeed  which  had  recognized  him  when  merely 
passing  in  the  street.  A  portion  of  each  day  he  spent 
out  in  the  garden  strolling  with  Lucy,  or  sitting  quietly 
while  she  read  to  him.  The  stiffness  in  his  arm  was  now 
abating,  and  as  the  search  for  him  had  to  a  great  extent 
ceased,  he  intended  in  a  short  time  to  make  for  Oxford. 

The  news  from  the  various  points  at  which  the  con- 
flict still  continued  was  everywhere  disastrous  for  the 
king.  Montrose  had  been  defeated.  The  king,  en- 
deavoring to  make  his  way  north  to  join  him,  had  been 
smartly  repulsed.  The  Royalists  were  everywhere  dis- 
organized and  broken.  Negotiations  were  once  again 
proceeding,  and  as  the  Scottish  army  was  marching 
south,  and  the  affairs  of  the  crown  seemed  desperate, 
there  was  every  hope  that  the  end  of  the  long  struggle 
was  approaching.  Harry's  departure  was  hastened  by  a 
letter  received  by  Herbert  from  his  father,  saying  that 
he  had  obtained  leave  from  his  regiment,  and  should  b« 
down  upon  the  following  day. 


:56  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"My  father  will  not  blame  me,"  Herbert  said,  "for 
what  I  have  done,  when  he  comes  to  know  it.  But  I  am 
not  sure  that  he  would  himself  approve  of  your  remain- 
ing here.  His  convictions -are  so  earnest,  and  his  sense 
of  duty  so  strong,  that  I  do  not  think  he  would  harbor 
his  nearest  relative,  did  he  believe  him  to  be  in  favor  oi 
the  king." 

Harry  next  morning  mounted  a  horse  of  Herbert's 
and  started  to  ride  from  the  town,  after  taking  an  affec- 
tionate farewell  of  his  hosts.  When  two  miles  out  of 
Abingdon  he  suddenly  came  upon  a  body  of  Parliament 
horse,  in  the  leader  of  whom  he  recognized,  by  a  great 
scar  across  his  face,  the  officer  with  whom  he  had  fallen 
out  at  Pnrness  Hall.  Relying  upon  his  disguise^  and 
upon  the  fact  that  it  was  only  for  a  minute  that  the 
officer  had  seen  him,  he  rode  quietly  on. 

"Whom  have  we  here?"  the  Roundhead  said,  reining 
in  his  horse. 

"My  name  is  Roger  Copley,  and  I  am  making  my  way 
from  London  to  my  people,  who  reside  in  the  west 
There  is  no  law,  I  believe,  against  my  so  doing." 

"There  is  no  law  for  much  that  is  done  or  undone/' 
the  Roundhead  said.  "Malignants  are  going  about  the 
country  in  all  sorts  of  disguises,  stirring  up  men  to  un- 
godly enterprises,  and  we  cannot  be  too  particular  whom 
we  let  pass.  What  hast  thou  been  doing  in  London?" 

"I  have  been  serving  my  time  as  apprentice  to  Master 
Nicholas  Fleming,  the  merchant  in  velvets  and  silks  in 
the  Chepe." 

VHast  thou  any  papers  to  prove  thy  identity?" 

"I  have  not,"  Harry  said;  "not  knowing  that  such 
were  needed.  I  have  traveled  thus  far  without  interrup- 
tion or  question,  and  am  surprised  to  find  hindrance 
upon  the  part  of  an  officer  of  the  Commons." 

"You  must  turn  your  horse,  and  ride  back  with  mo 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  15* 

into  Abmgdon,"  the  officer  said.  "I  doubt  me  mucK 
that  you  are  as  you  pretend  to  be.  However,  it  is  » 
matter  which  we  can  bring  to  the  proof.'* 

Harry  wondered  to  himself  of  what  proof  the  matte* 
was  capable.  But  without  a  word  he  turned  his  horse'* 
head  toward  Abingdon.  Scarcely  a  word  was  spoken  o«\ 
the  way,  and  Harry  was  meditating  whether  he  should 
say  that  he  had  been  staying  with  his  friend  Herbert, 
But  thinking  that  this  might  lead  the  latter  into  trouble^ 
he  determined  to  be  silent  on  that  head.  They  stopped 
at  the  door  of  the  principal  trader  in  the  town  and  th* 
captain  roughly  told  his  prisoner  to  alight  and  ente* 
with  him. 

"Master  Williamson,"  he  said,  "bring  out  some  piece\ 
of  velvet.  This  man,  whom  I  suspect  to  bs  a  Cavalie* 
in  disguise,  saith  that  he  has  been  an  apprentice  to  Mas 
ter  Nicholas  Fleming,  a  velvet  dealer  of  London.  * 
would  fain  see  how  far  his  knowledge  of  these  goods  ex 
tends.  Bring  out  five  or  six  pieces  of  various  qualities, 
and  put  them  upon  your  table  promiscuously,  and  not  i* 
order  of  value." 

The  mercer  did  as  requested. 

"These  goods,"  he  said,  "were  obtained  from  Maste* 
Fleming  himself.  "I  bought  them  last  year,  and  hav» 
scarce  sold  a  piece  of  such  an  article  since." 

Harry  felt  rather  nervous  at  the  thought  of  being 
obliged  to  distinguish  between  the  velvets,  for  although 
he  had  received  some  hints  and  instructions  from  th* 
merchant,  he  knew  that  the  appearance  of  one  kind  of 
velvet  differed  but  slightly  from  that  of  the  inferio* 
qualities.  To  his  satisfaction,  however,  ho  saw  at  th» 
end  of  the  rolls  the  pieces  of  paper  intact  upon  which 
Master  Fleming's  private  marks  were  placed. 

"I  need  not,"  he  said,  "look  at  the  velvets,  for  I  sen 
my  master's  private  marks  upon  them,  and  can  of  course 
tell  you  their  value  at  once." 


158  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

So  saying,  from  the  private  marks  he  read  off  the 
value  of  each  roll  of  velvet  per  yard,  and  as  these  tallied 
exactly  with  the  amount  which  the  mercer  had  paid  for 
them,  no  further  doubts  remained  upon  the  mind  of  the 
officer. 

"These  marks,"  he  said  to  the  mercer,  "are,  I  sup^ 
pose,  private,  and  could  not  be  read  save  by  one  in  the 
merchant's  confidence?" 

"That  is  so,"  the  mercer  replied.  "I  myself  am  in 
ignorance  of  the  meaning  of  these  various  symbols." 

"Yon  will  forgive  me,"  the  Parliament  officer  said  to 
Harry.  "In  these  times  one  cannot  be  too  suspicious, 
and  even  the  best  friends  of  the  Commons  need  not 
grudge  a  little  delay  in  their  journeyings,  in  order  that 
the  doings  of  the  malignants  may  be  arrested." 

Harry  in  a  few  words  assured  the  officer  that  he  bore 
him  no  malice  for  his  arrest,  and  that,  indeed,  his  zeal 
in  the  cause  did  him  credit.  Then  again  mounting  his 
horse,  he  quietly  rode  out  of  Abingdon.  This  time  he 
met  with  no  difficulties,  and  an  hour  later  entered  Oxford. 

Here  he  found  his  father  and  many  of  his  acquaint- 
ances. A  great  change  had  come  over  the  royal  city. 
The  tone  of  boastfulness  and  anticipated  triumph  which 
had  pervaded  it  before  the  second  battle  of  Newbury  had 
now  entirely  disappeared.  Gloom  was  written  upon  all 
faces,  and  few  entertained  any  hopes  of  a  favorable  ter- 
mination to  their  cause.  Here  a  year  passed  slowly  and 
heavily.  The  great  proportion  of  Sir  Henry  Furness' 
troop  were  allowed  to  return  to  their  farms,  as  at  present 
there  was  no  occasion  for  their  services  in  the  field. 

All  this  time  the  king  was  negotiating  and  treating; 
the  Parliament  quarreling  furiously  among  themselves, 
The  war  had  languished  everywhere.  In  the  west  a 
rising  had  been  defeated  by  the  Parliament  troops.  The 
Prince  of  Wales  had  retired  to  France;  and  there  was 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  159 

now  no  force  which  could  be  called  an  army  capable  of 
taking  the  field. 

The  bitterness  of  the  conflict  had  for  a  long  time 
ceased;  and  in  the  general  hope  that  peace  was  at  hand, 
the  rancor  of  Cavalier  against  Koundhead  softened  down. 
A  great  many  of  the  adherents  of  Charles  returned 
quietly  to  their  homes,  and  here  they  were  allowed  to 
settle  down  without  interruption. 

The  contrast  between  this  state  of  things  and  that 
which  prevailed  in  Scotland  was  very  strong,  and  has 
been  noted  by  more  than  one  historian.  In  England 
men  struggled  for  principle,  and,  having  fought  the 
battle  out,  appeared  to  bear  but  little  animosity  to  each 
other,  and  returned  each  to  his  own  pursuits  unmolested 
and  unharmed.  In  Scotland,  upon  the  other  hand,  after 
the  defeat  of  Montrose,  large  numbers  of  prisoners  were 
executed  in  cold  blood,  and  sanguinary  persecutions  took 
place. 

In  Parliament  the  disputes  between  the  Independents 
and  Presbyterians  grew  more  and  more  bitter,  the  latter 
being  strengthened  by  the  presence  of  the  Scotch  army 
in  England.  They  were  greatly  in  the  majority  in  point 
of  numbers;  but  the  Independents  made  up  for  their 
numerical  weakness  by  the  violence  of  their  opinions, 
and  by  the  support  of  the  army,  which  was  entirely 
officered  by  men  of  extreme  views. 

The  king,  instead  of  frankly  dealing  with  the  Com- 
mons, now  that  his  hopes  in  the  field  were  gone,  unhap- 
pily continued  his  intrigues,  hoping  that  an  open  breach 
would  take  place  between  the  parties.  On  the  5th  of 
December  he  wrote  to  the  speaker  of  the  House  of 
Lords,  offering  to  send  a  deputation  to  Westminster 
with  propositions  for  the  foundation  of  a  happy  and  well- 
grounded  peace.  This  offer  was  declined,  and  he  again 
wrote,  offering  himself  to  proceed  to  Westminster  to 


160  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

treat  in  person.  The  leaders  of  Parliament,  and  indeed 
with  reason,  suspected  the  sincerity  of  the  king.  Papers 
had  been  found  in  the  carriage  of  the  Catholic  Arch- 
bishop of  Tuam,  who  was  killed  in  a  skirmish  in  October^ 
proving  that  the  king  had  concluded  an  alliance  with 
the  Irish  rebels,  and  that  he  had  agreed,  if  they  would 
land  ten  thousand  men  in  England,  that  popery  should 
be  re-established  in  Ireland,  and  the  Protestants  brought 
under  subjection.  Letters  which  have  since  been  dis- 
covered prove  that  in  January,  1646,  while  urging  upon 
the  Parliament  to  come  to  terms,  he  was  writing  to  the 
queen,  saying  that  he  was  only  deceiving  them.  In  his 
letter  he  said: 

"Now,  as  to  points  which  I  expected  by  my  treaty  at 
London.  Knowing  assuredly  the  great  animosity  which 
is  betwixt  the  Independents  and  Presbyterians,  I  had 
great  reason  to  hope  that  one  of  the  factions  would  so 
address  themselves  to  me  that  I  might,  without  great  diffi- 
culty, obtain  my  so  just  ends,  and,  questionless,  it  would 
have  given  me  the  fittest  opportunity.  For  considering 
the  Scots'  treaty  that  would  be  besides,  I  might  have 
found  means  to  put  distractions  among  them,  though 
I  had  found  none." 

Such  being  the  spirit  that  animated  the  king,  there  is 
little  reason  for  surprise  that  the  negotiations  came  to 
nothing.  The  last  hope  of  the  crown  was  destroyed 
when,  on  the  22d  of  March,  Lord  Astley,  marching  from 
Worcester  to  join  the  king  at  Oxford,  was  defeated  at 
Stow,  in  the  Wold,  and  the  three  thousand  Cavaliers 
with  him  killed,  captured,  or  dispersed.  Again  the  king 
sent  a  message  to  Parliament,  offering  to  come  to  White- 
hall, and  proposing  terms  similar  to  those  which  he  had 
rejected  when  the  negotiators  met  at  Uxbridge.  His 
real  object,  however,  was  to  produce  such  an  effect  by 
his  presence  in  London  as  would  create  a  reaction  in  his 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  261 

favor.  Three  days  after  he  hud  sent  this  message  he  wrote 
to  Digby: 

"I  am  endeavoring  to  get  to  London,  so  that  the  con- 
ditions may  be  such  as  a  gentleman  may  own,  and  that 
die  rebels  may  acknowledge  me  king,  being  not  without 
hope  that  I  shall  be  able  so  to  draw  either  the  Presby- 
terians or  Independents  to  side  with  me  for  exterminat- 
ing the  one  or  the  other,  that  I  shall  be  really  king 
again." 

These  offers  were  rejected  by  Parliament,  and  the 
army  of  Fairfax  advanced  toward  Oxford.  In  the  mean- 
while, Montreuil,  a  special  ambassador  from  France, 
had  been  negotiating  with  the  Scottish  commissioners  in 
London  to  induce  the  Scots  to  take  up  the  cause  of  the 
king.  He  then  proceeded  to  Edinburgh,  and  afterward 
to  the  Scotch  army.  At  first  the  Scotch  were  willing  to 
receive  him;  but  they  perceived  the  danger  which  would 
be  involved  in  a  quarrel  with  the  English  Parliament. 
Already  there  were  many  causes  of  dispute.  The  army 
had  not  received  the  pay  promised  them  when  they 
marched  south,  and  being  without  money  had  been 
obliged  to  live  upon  the  country,  creating  great  disorders 
and  confusion,  and  rendering  themselves  bitterly  hated 
by  the  people.  Thus  their  answers  continued  to  be  am- 
biguous, making  no  absolute  promise,  but  yet  giving  a 
sort  of  encouragement  to  the  king  to  place  himself  in 
their  hands. 

Toward  the  end  of  April  Fairfax  was  drawing  so  close 
around  Oxford  that  the  king  felt  that  hesitation  was  no 
longer  possible,  and  accompanied  only  by  his  chaplain, 
Dr.  Michael  Hudson,  and  by  a  groom  of  his  bed- 
chamber, named  Jack  Ashburnham,  he  left  Oxford  at 
night,  and  after  many  adventures  arrived  at  the  Scotch 
army,  before  Newark,  where  upon  his  arrival  "many 
tords  came  instantly  to  wait  on  his  majesty,  with  profes- 


162  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  D1VIDBD. 

sions  of  joy  to  find  that  lie  had  so  far  honored  their  army 
as  to  think  it  worthy  his  presence  after  so  long  an  oppo- 
sition." Lord  Leven,  however,  who  commanded  the 
Scotch  army,  while  receiving  the  king  with  professions 
of  courtesy  and  honor,  yet  gave  him  to  understand  that 
he  must  in  some  way  consider  himself  as  a  prisoner. 
The  king,  at  the  request  of  the  Scotch,  signed  an  order 
to  his  governor  of  Newark,  who  had  been  for  months 
bravely  holding  out,  to  surrender  the  place,  and  this 
having  been  done,  the  Scottish  army  with  the  king 
marched  to  Newcastle. 

After  the  king's  surrender  to  the  Scotch  the  civil  war 
virtually  ceased,  although  many  places  still  held  out. 
Oxford,  closely  invested,  maintained  itself  until  the  22d 
of  June,  when  it  capitulated  to  Fairfax,  upon  the  terms 
that  the  garrison  * 'should  march  out  of  the  city  of  Ox- 
ford with  their  horses  and  complete  arms  that  properly 
belong  under  them  proportionable  to  their  present  or 
past  commands,  flying  colors,  trampets  sounding,  drums 
beating,  matches  alight  at  both  ends,  bullets  in  their 
mouths,  and  every  soldier  to  have  twelve  charges  of 
powder,  match  and  bullet  proportionable."  Those  who 
desired  to  go  to  their  houses  or  friends  were  to  lay  down 
their  arms  within  fifteen  miles  of  Oxford,  and  then  to 
have  passes,  with  the  right  of  free  quarter,  and  those 
who  wished  to  go  across  the  sea  to  serve  any  foreign 
power  were  to  be  allowed  to  do  so.  This  surrender  was 
honorable  to  both  parties,  and  upon  the  city  being  given 
up,  the  garrison  marched  out,  and  then  scattered  to 
their  various  houses  and  counties,  without  let  or  moles- 
tation from  the  troops  of  the  Commons. 

Harry  Furness  and  his  father  had  not  far  to  go.  They 
were  soon  installed  in  their  old  house,  where  although 
some  confusion  prevailed  owing  to  its  having  been  fre- 
quently in  the  occupation  of  bodies  of  Parliament  troops,. 


FRIENDS,  THOU aH  DIVIDED.  163 

yet  the  damage  done  was  not  serious,  and  in  a  short  tune 
it  was  restored  to  its  former  condition.  Several  of  the 
more  valuable  articles  were  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
hiding-places  in  which  they  had  been  concealed,  as  none 
could  yet  say  how  events  might  finally  turn  out.  A  por- 
tion of  the  Parliamentary  troops  were  also  disbanded, 
and  allowed  to  return  to  their  homes;  among  these  were 
Master  Kippinghall  and  his  son,  and  for  some  months 
matters  went  on  at  Abingdon  as  if  the  civil  war  had 
never  been.  Harry  often  saw  his  friend  Herbert;  but 
so  long  as  the  king  remained  in  a  doubtful  position  in 
the  army  of  the  Scots,  no  close  intercourse  could  take 
place  between  members  of  parties  so  opposed  to  each 
other. 

The  time  went  slowly  with  Harry,  for  after  the  past 
three  years  of  excitement  it  was  difficult  to  settle  down 
to  a  quiet  Jife  at  Furness  Hall.  He  was  of  course  too 
old  now  for  schooling,  and  the  times  were  yet  too  dis- 
turbed for  men  to  engage  in  the  field  sports  which 
occupy  so  large  a  portion  of  cotfntry  life.  Colonel  Fur- 
ness,  indeed,  had  determined  that  in  no  case  would  he 
again  take  up  arms.  He  was  discontented  with  the 
whole  course  of  events,  and  foresaw  that,  with  the  un- 
happy temper  of  the  king,  no  favorable  issue  could  possi- 
bly be  looked  for.  He  had  done  his  best,  he  said,  for 
the  crown  and  would  do  no  more.  He  told  his  son,  how- 
ever, that  he  should  place  no  rein  upon  his  inclinations 
should  he  choose  to  meddle  further  in  the  matter.  Harry 
would  fain  have  gone  abroad,  whither  so  many  of  the 
leading  Cavaliers  had  already  betaken  themselves,  and 
entered  the  service  of  some  foreign  court  fora  few  years. 
But  his  father  dissuaded  him  from  this,  at  any  rate  for 
the  present. 

"These  delays  and  negotiations,"  he  said,  "cannot 
last  forever.  I  care  not  whether  Presbyterians  or  Inde- 


^64  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

pendents  get  the  pow?r  over  our  unhappy  country.  The 
Independents  are  perhaps  the  more  bigoted;  the  Pres- 
byterians the  more  intolerant.  But  as  the  latter  would 
certainly  respect  the  royal  authority  more  than  the  for- 
mer, whose  rage  appears  to  me  to  pass  the  bounds  of  all 
moderation,  I  would  gladly  see  the  Presbyterians  obtain 
the  upper  hand.'' 

For  months  the  negotiations  dragged  wearily  on,  the 
king,,  as  usual,  maintaining  an  indecisive  attitude 
between  the  two  parties.  At  length,  however,  the  negotia- 
tions ended  in  a  manner  which  brought  an  eternal  dis- 
grace upon  the  Scotch,  for  they  agreed,  upon  the  receipt 
of  a  large  sum  of  money  as  the  deferred  pay  of  the  army, 
to  deliver  the  king  into  the  hands  of  the  English  Parlia- 
ment. A  great  convoy  of  money  was  sent  down  from 
London,  and  the  day  that  the  cash  was  in  the  hands  of 
the  Scots  they  handed  over  the  king  to  the  Parlia- 
mentary commissioners  sent  down  to  receive  him.  The 
king  was  conducted  to  Holm  by  House,  a  fine  mansion 
within  six  miles  of  Northampton,  and  there  was  at  first 
treated  with  great  honor.  A  large  household  and 
domestic  servants  were  chosen  for  him,  an  excellent 
table  kept,  and  the  king  was  allowed  a  large  amount  of 
personal  liberty.  The  nobles  and  gentlemen  of  his  court 
•were  permitted  to  see  him,  and  in  fact  he  was  apparently 
restored  to  his  rank  and  estate.  The  Presbyterian  party 
wei'8  in  power;  but  while  they  treated  the  king  with  the 
respect  due  to  his  exalted  station,  they  had  no  moro 
regard  to  the  rights  of  his  conscience  than  to  those  of 
the  consciences  of  the  people  at  large.  He  desired  to 
have  chaplains  of  the  Episcopal  church;  but  the  Parlia- 
ment refused  this,  and  sent  him  two  Presbyterian  minis- 
ters, whom  the  king  refused  to  receive. 

While  King  Charles  remained  at  Holm  by  Parliament 
quarreled  furiously.  The  spirit  of  the  Independents 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  D IV WED.  165- 

obtained  a  stronger  and  stronger  hold  upon  the  army. 
Cromwell  himself,  with  a  host  of  others,  preached  daily 
among  them,,  and  this  general,  although  Fairfax  was  the 
oommander-m-chief,  came  gradually  to  be  regarded  as; 
the  leader  of  the  army.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Cromwell  was  thoroughly  sincere  in  his  convictions,  and 
the  charges  of  hypocrisy  which  have  been  brought  against 
him,  are  at  least  proved  to  be  untrue.  He  was  a  man  of 
convictions  as  earnest  as  those  of  the  king  himself,  and 
as  firmly  resolved  to  override  the  authority  of  the  Par- 
liament, when  the  Parliament  withstood  him. 

Three  days  after  the  king  arrived  at  Holmby  House- 
the  Commons  voted  that  the  army  should  be  disbanded, 
with  the  exception  of  troops  required  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  rebellion  in  Ireland,  and  for  the  service  of  the 
garrisons.  It  was  also  voted  that  there  should  be  ncv 
officers,  except  Fairfax,  of  higher  rank  than  colonel,  and 
that  every  officer  should  take  the  covenant  and  conform 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church.  A  loan  was  raised  in  the 
city  to  pay  off  a  portion  of  the  arrears  of  pay  due  to  the 
army.  The  sum,  however,  was  insufficient,  and  there- 
were  great  murmurings  among  the  men  and  officers. 
Fourteen  of  the  latter  petitioned  Parliament  on  the  sub- 
ject of  arrears,  asking  that  auditors  should  be  appointed 
to  re'port  on  what  was  due  to  them,  and  laying  down 
some  conditions  with  regard  to  their  employment  in 
Ireland.  Five  days  afterward  the  House,  on  receipt  of 
this  petition,  declared  that  whoever  had  a  hand  in  pro- 
moting it,  or  any  other  such  petition,  was  an  enemy  to 
the  State,  and  a  disturber  of  the  public  peace.  The 
arrny  were  furious  at  this  declaration.  Deputations- 
from  them  went  to  the  House,  and  from  the  House  to 
the  army.  The  Presbyterian  members  were  highly  in- 
dignant at  their  pretensions,  and  Cromwell  saw  that  the- 
time  was  at  hand  when  the  army  would  take  the  affair 


166  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

entirely  into  their  hands.  The  soldiers  organized  a 
council  of  delegates,  called  "Adjutators,"  to  look  after 
their  rights.  The  Parliament  voted  eight  weeks'  pay, 
and  a  committee  went  to  the  army  to  see  it  disbanded. 
The  army  declined  to  disband,  and  said  that  eight  times 
eight  weeks'  pay  was  due.  The  feeling  grew  hotter  and 
hotter,  and  the  majority  in  Parliament  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  Cromwsll  should  be  arrested.  Cromwell, 
however,  obtained  word  of  what  was  intended,  and  left 
London. 

Upon  the  same  day  a  party  of  soldiers  went  down  to 
Holm  by,  and  forcibly  carried  off  King  Charles  from  the 
Parliamentary  commissioners,  the  troops  stationed  at 
Holmby  fraternizing  with  their  comrades.  The  king, 
under  the  charge  of  these  new  guards,  arrived  at  Roys- 
ton  on  the  7th  of  June,  and  Fairfax  and  Cromwell  met 
him  there.  He  asked  if  they  had  commissioned  Joyce, 
who  was  at  the  head  of  the  party  of  men  who  had  carried 
him  off,  to  remove  him.  They  denied  that  they  had 
done  so. 

"I  shall  not  believe  you/'  said  the  king,  "unless  you 
hang  him." 

And  his  majesty  had  good  ground  for  his  disbelief. 

Cromwell  returned  to  London  and  took  his  place  in 
the  House,  and  there  blamed  the  soldiers,  protesting  that 
he  would  stick  to  the  Parliament;  but  the  same  night  he 
went  away  again  down  to  the  army,  and  there  declared 
to  them  the  actions  and  designs  of  Parliament.  Com 
missioners  came  down  on  the  10th  from  the  Commons; 
but  the  army  formed  up,  and  when  the  votes  were 
read,  refused  to  obey  them.  The  same  afternoon  a  let- 
ter, signed  by  Fairfax,  Cromwell,  Ireton,  and  ten  other 
officers,  was  sent  to  the  city,  stating  that  they  were 
dbout  to  advance  upon  London,  and  declaring  that  if 
the  city  did  not  take  part  against  them  "in  their  just 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  167 

desires  to  resist  that  wicked  party  which  would  embroil 
us  and  the  kingdom,  neither  we  nor  our  soldiers  shall 
give  you  the  least  offense."  The  army  marched  to  St. 
Albans,  and  thence  demanded  the  impeachment  of  eleven 
members  of  the  Commons,  all  leading  Presbyterians. 
The  city  and  Parliament  were  in  a  state  of  consternation. 
The  army  advanced  to  Uxbridge.  It  demanded  a 
month's  pay,  and  received  it;  but  it  continued  to  ad- 
vance. On  the  26th  of  April  Parliament  gave  way. 
The  eleven  members  retired  from  the  House,  the  Com- 
mons passed  a  vote  approving  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
army,  and  commissioners  were  appointed. 

All  this  time  the  king  was  treated  as  honorably  as  he 
had  been  when  at  Holmby  House.  He  was  always 
lodged  at  great  houses  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  army 
— at  the  Earl  of  Salisbury's,  at  Hatfield,  when  the  troops 
were  at  St.  Albans,  and  at  the  Earl  of  Craven's,  at 
Caversham,  when  the  army  moved  further  back.  And 
at  both  of  these  places  he  was  allowed  to  receive  the 
visits  of  his  friends,  and  to  spend  his  time  as  he  desired. 

More  critical  times  were  now,  however,  at  hand. 


168  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

AN   ATTEMPT  TO   RESCUE  THE   KING. 

THE  king,  after  London  had  been  overawed  by  the 
army,  was  lodged  in  Hampton  Court.  At  this  time  the 
feeling  throughout  England  was  growing  stronger  and 
stronger  in  favor  of  the  re-establishment  oi  the  monarchy. 
It  was  now  a  year  since,  with  the  fall  of  Oxford,  the  civil 
war  had  virtually  concluded,  and  people  yearned  for  a 
settled  government  and  a  return  to  ancient  usages  and 
manners.  The  great  majority  of  that  very  Parliament 
which  had  withstood  and  conquered  Charles  were  of 
one  mind  with  the  people  in  general;  but  England  was 
no  longer  free  to  choose  for  itself.  The  army  had  won 
the  victory  for  the  Commons,  and  was  determined  to 
impose  its  will  upon  the  nation.  At  this  time  Crom- 
well, Ireton,  and  Fairfax  were  disposed  to  an  arrange- 
ment, but  their  authority  was  overshadowed  by  that  of 
the  preachers,  who,  in  their  harangues  to  the  troops, 
denounced  these  generals  as  traitors,  and  then  finding 
that  they  were  likely  to  lose  their  influence,  and  to  be- 
come obnoxious  to  both  parties,  henceforth  threw  their 
lot  in  with  the  army,  and  headed  it  in  its  struggle  with 
the  Parliament.  Even  yet  the  long  misfortunes  which 
Charles  had  suffered  were  insufficient  to  teach  him  wis- 
dom. Had  he  now  heartily  thrown  himself  into  the 
hands  of  the  moderate  majority  in  Parliament  he  might 
— aided  by  them  and  by  the  Scots,  who,  seeing  that  the 
Independents  were  ignoring  all  the  obligations  which 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  169 

had  been  undertaken  by  the  Solemn  League  and  govern- 
ment, were  now  almost  openly  hostile  to  the  party  of 
the  army — have  again  mounted  the  throne,  amid  the 
joyful  acclamations  of  the  whole  country.  The  army 
would  have  fought,  but  Charles,  with  England  at  hia 
back,  would  assuredly  have  conquered.  Unfortunately, 
the  king  could  not  be  honest.  His  sole  idea  of  policy 
//as  to  set  one  section  of  his  opponents  against  the 
other.  He  intrigued  at  once  with  the  generals  and 
with  the  Parliament,  and  had  the  imprudence  to  write 
continually  to  the  queen  and  others,  avowing  that  he 
was  deceiving  both.  Several  of  these  letters  were  inter- 
cepted, and  although  desirous  of  playing  off  the  king 
against  the  army,  the  Commons  felt  that  they  could 
place  no  trust  in  him  whatever;  while  the  preachers  and 
the  army  clamored  more  and  more  loudly  that  he  should 
be  brought  to  trial  as  a  traitor. 

Harry  Furness  had,  after  the  fall  of  Oxford,  remained 
quietly  with  his  father  at  Furness  Hall.  Once  or  twice 
only  had  he  gone  up  to  London,  returning  with  reports 
that  the  people  there  were  becoming  more  and  more  de- 
sirous of  the  restoration  of  the  king  t-,o  his  rights.  The 
great  majority  were  heartily  sick  of  the  rule  of  the 
preachers,  with  their  lengthy  exhortations,  their  sad 
faces,  and  their  abhorrence  of  amusement  of  all  kinds. 
There  had  been  several  popular  tumults,  in  which  the 
old  cry  of  "God  save  the  king,"  had  again  been  raised. 
The  apprentices  were  ready  to  join  in  any  movement 
which  might  bring  back  the  pleasant  times  of  old. 
Cavaliers  now  openly  showed  themselves  in  the  streets, 
and  London  was  indeed  ripe  for  an  insurrection  against 
the  sovereignty  which  the  army  had  established  over 
the  nation.  Had  the  king  at  this  time  escaped  from 
Hampton  Court,  and  ridden  into  London  at  the  head  of 
only  twenty  gentlemen,  and  issued  a  proclamation  ap- 


170  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

pealing  to  the  loyalty  of  the  citizens,  and  promising 
faithfully  to  preserve  the  rights  of  the  people,  and  to 
govern  constitutionally,  lie  would  have  been  received 
with  acclamation.  The  majority  of  Parliament  would 
have  declared  for  him,  England  would  have  received  the 
news  with  delight,  and  the  army  alone  would  not  have 
sufficed  to  turn  the  tide  against  him.  Unhappily  for 
Charles,  he  had  no  more  idea  now  than  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  war  of  governing  constitutionally,  and  instead 
of  thinking  of  trusting  himself  to  the  loyalty  and  affec- 
tion of  his  subjects,  he  was  meditating  an  escape  to 
France.  Harry  received  a  letter  from  one  of  the  king's 
most  attached  adherents,  who  was  in  waiting  upon  him 
at  Hampton,  begging  him  to  repair  there  at  once,  as 
his  majesty  desired  the  aid  of  a  few  of  those  upon  whom 
he  could  best  rely,  for  an  enterprise  which  he  was  about 
to  undertake.  Harry  showed  the  letter  to  his  father. 

"You  must  do  as  you  will,  Harry,"  the  colonel  said. 
"For  myself,  I  stick  to  my  determination  to  meddle  no 
more  in  the  broils  of  this  kingdom.  Could  I  trust  his 
majesty,  I  would  lay  down  my  life  for  him  willingly;  but 
I  cannot  trust  him.  All  the  misfortunes  which  have  be- 
fallen him,  all  the  blood  which  has  been  poured  out  by 
loyal  men  in  his  cause,  all  the  advice  which  his  best 
councilors  have  given  him,  have  been  thrown  away  upon 
him.  He  is  as  lavish  with  his  promises  as  ever,  but  all 
the  time  he  is  intending  to  break  them  as  soon  as  he  gets 
the  chance.  Were  he  seated  upon  the  throne  again  to- 
morrow, he  would  be  as  arbitrary  as  he  was  upon  the  day 
he  ascended  it.  I  do  not  say  that  I  would  not  far  rather 
see  England  under  the  tyranny  of  one  man  than  under 
that  of  an  army  of  ambitious  knaves;  but  the  latter  can- 
not last.  The  king's  authority,  once  riveted  again  on 
the  necks  of  the  people,  might  enslave  them  for  genera- 
tions, but  England  will  never  submit  long  to  the  yoke  of 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  i;i 

military  dictators.  The  evil  is  great,  but  it  will  right 
itself  in  time.  But  do  you  do  as  yon  like,  Harry.  You 
have,  I  hope,  a  long  life  before  you,  and  'twere  best  that 
you  chose  your  own  path  in  it.  But  think  it  over,  my 
son.  Decide  nothing  to-night,  and  in  the  morning  let 
me  know  what  you  have  determined." 

Harry  slept  but  little  that  night.  When  he  met  his 
lather  at  breakfast  he  said: 

"I  have  decided,  father.  You  know  that  my  opinions 
run  with  yours  as  to  the  folly  of  the  king,  and  the 
wrongfulness  and  unwisdom  of  his  policy.  Still  he  is 
alone,  surrounded  by  traitors  to  whose  ambition  he  is  an 
obstacle,  and  who  clamor  for  his  blood.  I  know  not 
upon  what  enterprise  he  may  now  be  bent,  but  methinks 
that  it  must  be  that  he  thinks  of  an  escape  from  the 
hands  of  his  jailers.  If  so,  he  must  meditate  a  flight  to 
France.  There  he  will  need  faithful  followers,  who  will 
do  their  best  to  make  him  feel  that  he  is  still  a  king 
who  will  cheer  his  exile  and  sustain  his  hopes.  It  may 
be  that  years  will  pass  before  England  shakes  off  the 
iron  yoke  which  Cromwell  and  his  army  are  placing  upon 
her  neck.  But,  as  you  say,  I  am  young  and  can  wait. 
There  are  countries  in  Europe  where  a  gentleman  can 
take  service  in  the  army,  and  should  aught  happen  to 
King  Charles  there  I  will  enroll  myself  until  these  evil 
days  be  all  passed.  I  would  rather  never  see  England 
again  than  live  here  to  be  ruled  by  King  Cromwell  and. 
his  canting  Ironsides." 

"So  be  it,  my  son,"  the  colonel  said.  "I  do  not  strive 
to  dissuade  you,  for  methinks  had  I  been  of  your  age  I 
should  have  chosen  the  same.  Should  your  fortunes 
lead  you  abroad,  as  they  likely  will,  I  shall  send  yon  a 
third  of  my  income  hert.  The  rest  will  be  ample  for 
me.  There  will  be  little  feasting  or  merriment  at  Fur- 
ness  Hall  until  the  cloud  which  overshadows  England 


372  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

be  passed  away,  and  you  be  again  by  my  side.  There  is 
Mttle  fear  of  my  being  disturbed.  Those  who  laid  down 
*,heir  arms  when  the  war  ceased  were  assured  of  the 
possession  of  their  property,  and  as  I  shall  draw  sword 
no  more  there  will  be  no  excuse  for  the  Koundheads  to 
j-ay  hands  on  Furness  Hall.  And  now,  my  boy,  here  are 
a  hundred  gold  pieces.  Use  them  in  the  king's  service. 
When  I  hear  that  you  are  abroad  I  will  write  to  Master 
Fleming  to  arrange  with  his  correspondents,  whether  in 
France  or  Holland,  as  you  may  chance  to  be,  to  pay  the 
money  regularly  into  your  hands.  You  will,  I  suppose, 
take  Jacob  with  you?" 

"Assuredly  I  will,"  Harry  said.  "He  is  attached  and 
faithful,  and  although  he  cares  not  very  greatly  for  the 
king's  cause,  I  know  he  will  follow  my  fortunes.  He  is 
sick  to  death  of  the  post  which  I  obtained  for  him  after 
the  war,  with  a  scrivener  at  Oxford.  I  will  also  take 
William  Long  with  me,  if  he  will  go.  He  is  a  merry 
fellow,  and  has  a  wise  head.  He  and  Jacob  did  mar- 
velously  at  Edinburgh,  when  they  cozened  the  preachers, 
and  got  me  out  of  the  clutches  of  Argyll.  With  two 
such  trusty  followers  I  could  go  through  Europe.  I  will 
ride  over  to  Oxford  at  once." 

As  Harry  anticipated,  Jacob  was  delighted  at  the  pros- 
pect of  abandoning  his  scrivener's  desk. 

"I  don't  believe,"  he  said,  when  he  had  learned  from 
Harry  that  they  were  going  to  the  king  at  Hampton, 
"that  aught  will  come  of  these  plottings.  As  I  told  yon 
when  we  were  apprentices  together,  I  love  plots,  but 
there  are  men  with  whom  it  is  fatal  to  plot.  Such  a 
one,  assuredly,  is  his  gracious  majesty.  •  For  a  plot  to 
be  successful,  all  to  be  concerned  in  it  must  know  their 
own  minds,  and  be  true  as  steel  to  each  other.  The 
king  never  knows  his  own  mind  for  half  an  hour  to- 
gether, and,  unfortunately,  he  seems  unable  to  be  true 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  173 

to  any  one.  So  let  it  be  understood,  Master  Harry,,  that 
I  go  into  this  business  partly  from  love  of  yon,  who  have 
been  truly  a  most  kind  friend  to  me,  partly  because  I 
love  adventure,  and  hate  this  scrivener's  desk,  partly 
because  there  is  a  chance  that  I  may  benefit  by  the 
change." 

Harry  bade  him  procure  apparel  as  a  sober  retainer  in 
a  Puritan  family,  and  join  him  that  night  at  Furness 
Hall,  as  he  purposed  to  set  out  at  daybreak.  William 
Long  also  agreed  at  once  to  follow  Harry's  fortunes. 
The  old  farmer,  his  father,  offered  no  objection. 

"It  is  right  that  my  son  should  ride  with  the  heir  of 
Furness  Hall,"  he  said.  "We  have  been  Furness  ten- 
ants for  centuries,  and  have  ever  fought  by  our  lords  in 
battle.  Besides,  Master  Harry,  I  doubt  me  whether 
William  will  ever  settle  down  here  in  peace.  His  elder 
brother  will  have  the  farm  after  me,  so  it  matters  not 
greatly,  but  your  wars  and  jonrneyings  have  turned  his 
head,  and  he  thinks  of  arms  and  steel  caps  more  than 
of  fat  beeves  or  well-tilled  fields." 

The  next  morning,  soon  after  daybreak,  Harry  and  his 
followers  left  Furness  Hall,  ami  arrived  the  same  night  at 
Hampton.  Here  they  put  up  at  a  hostelry,  and  Harry 
sent  a  messenger  to  Lord  Ashburnham,  who  had  sum- 
moned him,  and  was  in  attendance  upon  the  king,  to  say- 
that  he  had  arrived. 

An  hour  later  Lord  Ashburnham  joined  him.  "I  am 
glad  you  have  come,  Master  Furness,"'  he  said.  "The 
king  needs  faithful  servants;  and  it's  well  that  you  havo 
come  to-day,  as  I  have  been  ordered  by  those  in  power  to 
remove  from  the  king's  person.  His  majesty  has  lost  all 
hope  of  coming  to  an  agreement  with  either  party  here. 
At  one  time  it  seemed  that  Cromwell  and  Ireton  were 
like  to  have  joined  him,  but  a  letter  of  the  king's,  in 
which  he  spoke  of  them  somewhat  discourteously,  fell 


174  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

into  their  hands,  and  they  have  now  given  themselves 
wholly  over  to  the  party  most  furious  against  the  king. 
Therefore  he  has  resolved  to  fly.  Do  you  move  from 
hence  and  take  np  your  quarters  at  Kingston,  where  no 
curious  questions  are  likely  to  be  asked  you.  I  shall 
take  lodgings  at  Ditton,  and  shall  there  await  orders 
from  the  king.  It  may  be  that  he  will  change  his  mind, 
but  of  this  Major  Legg,  who  attends  him  in  his  bed- 
chamber, will  notify  us.  Our  design  is  to  ride  to  the 
coast  near  Southampton  and  there  take  ship,  and  embark 
for  France.  It  is  not  likely  that  we  shall  be  attacked  by 
the  way,  but  as  the  king  may  be  recognized  in  any  town 
through  which  we  may  pass,  it  is  as  well  to  have  half  a 
dozen  good  swords  on  which  we  can  rely." 

"I  have  with  me,"  Harry  said,  "my  friend  Jacob, 
who  was  lieutenant  in  my  troop,  and  who  can  wield  a 
sword  well,  and  one  of  my  old  troopers,  a  stout  and 
active  lad.  You  can  rely  upon  them  as  on  me." 

Lord  Ashburnham  stayed  but  a  few  minutes  with 
Harry,  and  then  mounted  and  rode  to  Ditton,  while 
Harry  the  same  afternoon  journeyed  on  into  Kingston, 
and  there  took  up  his  lodgings.  On  the  llth  of  Novem- 
ber, three  days  after  their  arrival,  Harry  received  a  mes- 
sage from  Lord  Ashburnham,  asking  him  to  ride  over  to 
Ditton.  At  his  lodgings  there  he  found  Sir  John  Berke- 
ley. Major  Legg  shortly  after  arrived^  and  told  them 
that  the  king  had  determined,  when  he  went  into  his 
private  room  for  evening  prayer,  to  slip  away,  and  make 
for  the  river  side,  where  they  were  to  be  in  readiness  for 
him  with  horses.  Harry  had  brought  his  followers  with 
him,  and  had  left  them  at  an  inn  while  he  visited  Lord 
Ashburnham.  William  Long  at  once  rode  back  to 
Kingston,  and  there  purchased  two  good  horses,  with 
saddles,  for  the  king  and  Major  Legg.  At  seven  in  the 
evening  the  party  mounted,  William  Long  and  Jacob 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  175 

each  leading  a  spare  horse.  Lord  Ashburnham  and  Sir 
John  Berkeley  joined  them  outside  the  village,  and  they 
rode  together  until,  crossing  the  bridge  at  Hampton,  they 
stopped  on  the  river  hank,  at  the  point  arranged,  near 
the  palace.  Half  an  hour  passed,  and  then  footsteps 
were  heard,  and  two  figures  approached.  Not  a  word 
was  spoken  until  they  were  near  enough  to  discern  their 
faces. 

"Thank  God  you  are  here,  my  Lord  Ashburnham," 
the  king  said.  "Fortune  is  always  so  against  me  that  I 
feared  something  might  occur  to  detain  you.  Ha!  Mas- 
ter Furness,  I  am  glad  to  see  so  faithful  a  friend." 

The  king  and  Major  Legg  now  mounted,  and  the  little 
party  rode  off.  Their  road  led  through  Windsor  Forest, 
then  of  far  greater  extent  than  at  present.  Through 
this  the  king  acted  as  guide.  The  night  was  wild  and 
stormy,  but  the  king  was  well  acquainted  with  the  forest, 
and  at  daybreak  the  party,  weary  and  drenched,  arrived 
at  Button,  in  Hampshire.  Here  they  found  six  horses, 
which  Lord  Ashburnham  had  on  the  previous  day  sent 
forward,  and  mounting  these,  they  again  rode  on.  As 
the  sun  rose  their  spirits  revived,  and  the  king  entered 
into  conversation  with  Ashburnham,  Berkeley,  and 
Harry  as  to  his  plans.  The  latter  was  surprised  and  dis- 
appointed to  find  that  so  hurriedly  had  the  king  finally 
made  up  his  mind  to  fly  that  no  ship  had  been  prepared 
to  take  him  from  the  coast,  and  that  it  was  determined 
that  for  the  time  the  king  should  goto  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
The  governor  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  was  Colonel  Ham- 
mond, who  was  connected  with  both  parties.  His  uncle 
was  chaplain  to  the  king,  and  he  was  himself  married  to 
a  daughter  of  Hampden.  It  was  arranged  that  the  king 
and  Major  Legg  should  proceed  to  a  house  of  Lord 
Southampton  at  Titchfield,  and  that  Berkeley  and  Lord 
Ashburnham  should  go  to  the  Isle  of  Wight  to  Colonel 


176  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Hammond,  to  find  if  he  would  receive  the  king.  Harry, 
with  his  followers,  was  to  proceed  to  Southampton,  and 
there  to  procure  a  ship,  which  was  to  be  in  readiness  to 
embark  the  king  when  a  message  was  received  from  him. 
Agents  of  the  king  had  already  received  orders  to  have  a 
ship  in  readiness,  and  should  this  be  done,  it  was  at  once 
to  be  brought  round  to  Titchfield. 

"This  seems  to  me,"  Jacob  said,  as,  after  separating 
from  the  king,  they  rode  to  Southampton,  "to  be  but 
poor  plotting.  Here  has  the  king  been  for  three  months 
at  Hampton  Court,  and  could,  had  he  so  chosen,  have 
fixed  his  flight  for  any  day  at  his  will.  A  vessel  might 
have  been  standing  on  and  oif  the  coast,  ready  to  receive 
him,  and  he  could  have  ridden  down,  and  embarked  im- 
mediately he  reached  the  coast.  As  it  is,  there  is  no 
ship  and  no  arrangement,  and  for  aught  he  knows  he 
may  be  a  closer  prisoner  in  the  Isle  of  Wight  than  he  was 
at  Hampton,  while  both  parties  with  whom  he  has  been 
negotiating  will  be  more  furious  than  ever  at  finding 
that  he  has  fooled  them.  If  I  could  not  plot  better  t'luin 
this  I  would  stick  to  a  scrivener's  desk  all  my  life." 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  they  rode  into 
Southampton.  They  found  the  city  in  a  state  of  excite- 
ment. A  messenger  had,  an  hour  before,  ridden  in 
from  London  with  the  news  of  the  king's  escape,  and 
with  orders  from  Parliament  that  no  vessel  should  be 
allowed  to  leave  the  port.  Harry  then  rode  to  Ports- 
mouth, but  there  also  he  was  unable  to  do  anything.  He 
heard  that  in  the  afternoon  the  king  had  crossed  over 
into  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  that  he  had  been  received  by 
the  governor  with  marks  of  respect.  They,  therefore, 
again  returned  to  Southampton,  and  there  took  a  boat 
for  Cowes.  Leaving  his  followers  there,  Harry  rode  to 
Newport,  and  saw  the  king.  The  latter  said  that  for 
the  present  he  had  altogether  changed  his  mind  about 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  177 

33caping  to  France,  and  that  Sir  John  Berkeley  would 
start  at  once  to  negotiate  with  the  heads -of  the  army. 
He  begged  Harry  to  go  to  London,  and  to  send  him 
from  time  to  time  sure  news  of  the  state  of  feeling  of 
the  populace. 

Taking  his  followers  with  him,  Harry  rode  to  London, 
disguised  as  a  country  trader.  He  held  communication 
\vith  many  leading  citizens,  as  well  as  with  apprentices 
and  others  with  whom  he  could  get  into  conversation  in 
the  streets  and  public  resorts.  He  found  that  the  vast 
majority  of  the  people  of  London  were  longing  for  the 
overthrow  of  the  rule  of  the  Independents,  and  for  the 
restoration  of  the  king.  The  preachers  were  as  busy  aa 
ever  haranguing  people  in  the  streets,  and  especially  at 
Paul's  Cross.  In  the  cathedral  of  St.  Paul's  the  Inde- 
pendent soldiers  had  stabled  their  horses,  to  the  great 
anger  of  many  moderate  people,  who  were  shocked  at 
the  manner  in  which  those  who  had  first  begun  to  fight 
for  liberty  of  conscience  now  tyrannized  over  the  con- 
sciences and  insulted  the  feelings  of  all  others.  Harry 
and  his  followers  mixed  among  the  groups,  and  aided  in 
inflaming  the  temper  of  the  people  by  passing  jeering 
remarks,  and  loudly  questioning  the  statements  of  the 
preachers.  These,  unaccustomed  to  interruption,  would 
rapidly  lose  temper,  and  they  and  their  partisans  would 
make  a  rush  through  the  crowd  to  seize  their  interroga- 
tors. Then  the  apprentices  would  interfere,  blows  would 
be  exchanged,  and  not  unfrequently  the  fanatics  were 
driven  in  to  take  refuge  with  the  troops  in  St.  Paul's. 
Harry  found  a  small  printer  of  Royalist  opinions,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  Jacob,  strung  together  many  dog- 
gerel verses,  making  a  scoff  of  the  sour-faced  rulers  of 
England,  and  calling  upon  the  people  not  to  submit  to 
be  tyrannized  over  by  their  own  paid  servants,  the  army. 
These  verses  were  then  set  in  type  by  the  printer,  and  in 


178  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  evening,   taking    different   ways,   they  distributed 
them  in  the  streets  to  pasaers-hy. 

Day  by  day  the  feeling  i:i  tho  city  rose  higher,  as  the 
quarrels  at  Westminster  between  the  Independents, 
backed  by  the  army  and  the  Presbyterian  majority, 
waxed  higher  and  higher.  All  this  time  the  king  was 
negotiating  with  commissioners  from  the  army,  and  with 
others  sent  by  the  Scots,  one  day  inclining  to  one  party, 
the  next  to  the  other,  making  promises  to  both,  but  in- 
tending to  observe  none,  as  soon  as  he  could  gain  his 
ends. 

'  On  Sunday,  the  9th  of  April,  Harry  and  his  friends 
scrolled  up  to  Moor  Fields  to  look  at  the  apprentices 
playing  bowls  there.  Presently  from  the  barracks  of 
the  militia  hard  by  a  party  of  soldiers  came  out,  and 
ordered  them  to  desist,  some  of  the  soldiers  seizing  upon 
the  bowls. 

"Now,  lads,"  Harry  shouted,  "you  will  not  stand 
that,  will  you?  The  London  apprentices  were  not  wont 
to  submit  to  be  ridden  rough-shod  over  by  troops.  Has 
all  spirit  been  taken  out  of  you  by  the  long-winded  ser- 
mons of  these  knaves  in  steeple  hats?" 

Some  of  the  soldiers  made  a  rush  at  Harry.  His  two 
friends  closed  in  by  him.  The  two  first  of  the  soldiers 
who  arrived  were  knocked  down.  Others,  however, 
seized  the  young  men,  but  the  apprentices  crowded  up, 
pelted  the  soldiers  with  stones,  and,  by  sheer  weight, 
overthrew  those  who  had  taken  Harry  and  carried  him 
off.  The  soldiers  soon  came  pouring  out  of  their  bar- 
racks, but  fleet-footed  lads  had,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  quarrel,  run  down  into  the  streets,  raising  the 
shout  of  "clubs,"  and  swarms  of  apprentices  came  run- 
ning up.  Led  by  Harry  and  his  followers,  who  carried 
heavy  sticks,  they  charged  the  militia  with  such  fury 
that  these,  in  spite  of  their  superior  arms,  were  driven 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.        179 

back  lighting  into  their  barracks.  When  the  gates  were 
shut  Harry  mounted  on  a  stone  and  harangued  tho 
apprentices — he  recalled  to  them  the  ancient  rights  of 
the  city,  rights  which  the  most  absolute  monarchs  who 
had  sat  upon  the  throne  had  not  ventured  to  infringe, 
that  no  troops  should  pass  through  the  streets  or  be 
quartered  there  to  restrict  the  liberties  of  the  citizens. 
"No  king  would  have  ventured  so  to  insult  the  people  of 
London;  why  should  the  crop-haired  knaves  at  West- 
minster dare  to  do  so?  If  you  had  the  spirit  of  your 
fathers  you  would  not  bear  it  for  a  moment." 

"We  will  not,  we  will  not/'  shouted  the  crowd. 
"Down  with  the  soldiers!'' 

At  this  moment  a  lad  approached  at  full  run  to  say 
that  the  cavalry  were  coming  from  St.  Paul's.  In  their 
enthusiasm  the  apprentices  prepared  to  resist,  but  Harry 
shouted  to  them: 

"Not  here  in  the  fields.  Scatter  now  and  assemble  in 
the  streets.  With  the  chains  up,  we  can  beat  them 
there." 

The  apprentices  gave  a  cheer,  and,  scattering,  made 
their  way  from  the  fields  just  as  the  cavalry  issued  into 
the  open  space.  Hurrying  in  all  directions,  the  appren- 
tices carried  the  news,  and  soon  the  streets  swarmed 
with  their  fellows.  They  were  quickly  joined  by  the 
watermen — in  those  days  a  numerous  and  powerful  body. 
These  were  armed  with  oars  and  boat-stretchers.  The 
chains  which  were  fastened  at  night  across  the  ends  of 
the  streets  were  quickly  placed  in  position,  and  all  was 
prepared  to  resist  the  attack  of  the  troops. 


,80  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

A   RIOT  IX  THE   CITY. 

So  quickly  were  the  preparations  made  that  by  the 
time  the  cavalry  came  riding  back  from  Moor  Fields 
they  found  the  way  barred  to  them.  The  commander  of 
the  cavalry  ordered  his  men  to  charge.  Harry,  who  had 
now  taken  the  command  of  the  crowd,  ordered  a  few  of 
the  apprentices  to  stand  before  the  first  line  of  chains, 
so  that  these  would  not  be  visible  until  the  horses  were 
close  upon  them.  Behind  the  chains  he  placed  a  strong 
body  of  watermen  with  their  oars,  while  behind  these, 
and  at  the  windows  of  the  houses,  were  the  apprentices, 
each  armed  with  a  quantity  of  stones  and  broken  bricks. 
The  cavalry  charged  down  upon  the  defense.  When 
they  reached  within  a  few  yards  of  the  apprentices  in 
front,  these  slipped  under  the  chain.  The  leading  troop- 
ers halted,  but  were  pressed  by  those  behind  them 
against  the  chain.  Then  a  rain  of  stones  and  brickbats 
opened  upon  them,  and  the  watermen  struck  down  men 
and  horses  with  their  heavy  oars.  In  vain  the  troopers 
tried  with  their  swords  to  reach  their  opponents.  In 
vain  they  fired  their  pistols  into  the  mass.  They  were 
knocked  down  by  the  stones  and  brickbats  in  numbers, 
and  at  last,  their  commander  having  been  struck  sense- 
less, the  rest  drew  off,  a  tremendous  cheer  greeting  their 
retreat,  from  the  crowd. 

"Now,"  Harry  shouted,  taking  his  position  on  a  door- 
step, whence  he  could  be  seen,  "attend  to  me.  The 


A  SHOWFR  OF  STONES  AND  BRICKBATS  OPENED  UPON  THEM —Page  180. 

thoueh  D. ; 


PRIRND3,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  Jgl 

battle  has  only  begun  yet,  and  they  will  bring  up  their 
infantry  now.  "Next  time  we  will  let  them  enter  the 
street,  and  defend  the  chains  at  the  other  end — a  party 
must  hold  these — do  some  of  you  fill  each  lane  which 
comes  down  on  either  side,  and  do  ten  of  you  enter  each 
house  and  take  post  at  the  upper  windows,  with  a  good 
store  of  ammunition.  Do  not  show  yourselves  until  the 
head  of  their  column  reaches  the  chain.  Then  fling 
open  the  windows  and  pour  volleys  of  stones  and  bricks 
upon  them.  Then  let  those  in  the  side  streets,  each 
headed  by  parties  of  watermen,  fall  upon  their  flanks. 
Never  fear  their  musketry.  They  can  only  give  fire  once 
before  you  are  upon  them.  The  oars  will  beat  down  the 
pikes,  and  your  clubs  will  do  the  rest.  Now  let  the 
apprentices  of  each  street  form  themselves  into  parties, 
each  under  their  captain.  Let  all  be  regular  and  orderly, 
and  we  will  show  them  what  the  Londoners  can  do." 

With  a  cheer  the  crowd  separated,  and  soon  took  post 
as  Harry  had  directed.  He  stationed  himself  at  the 
barricade  at  the  head  of  the  street.  A  quarter  of  an 
hour  later  the  militia  were  seen  approaching  in  close 
column  followed  by  the  cavalry.  On  arriving  at  the  end 
of  the  street  the  assailants  removed  the  chain,  and  again 
advanced.  The  street  was  silent  until  they  neared  its 
end.  The  watermen  had,  under  Harry's  direction,  tor» 
up  the  paving  stones,  and  formed  a  barricade  breast 
high,  behind  which,  remaining  crouched,  they  awaited 
the  assault. 

The  fight  began  by  a  volley  of  stones  from  the 
apprentices  behind  the  barricade.  The  leading  rank  of 
the  column  discharged  their  muskets,  and  rushed  at  the 
barricade;  the  watermen  sprang  to  oppose  them.  At 
the  sound  of  the  first  shot  every  window  in  the  street 
opened,  and  a  rain  of  bricks  and  heavy  stones  poured 
down  on  all  sides  upon  the  column,  while  at  the 


;<82  JRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

time  dense  masses  flung  themselves  upon  its  flanks,  from 
every  lane  leading  into  it.  Confused  and  broken  by  the 
sudden  onslaught  in  the  narrow  street,  the  column 
halted,  and  endeavored  to  open  a  fire  upon  the  upper 
windows.  This,  however,  effected  but  little  harm,  while 
every  brick  from  above  told  upon  their  crowded  mass* 
The  column  was  instantly  in  confusion,  and  Harry  and 
his  followers,  leaping  over  the  barricade,  and  followed  by 
the  watermen  and  apprentices  behind,  fell  upon  it  with 
fury.  In  vain  did  the  Roundheads  strive  to  repulse  the 
attack.  Their  numbers  melted  away  as  they  fell,  killed 
or  senseless,  from  the  rain  of  missiles  from  above.  Al- 
ready the  column  was  rent  by  their  assailants  on  the 
flanks,  and  in  less  than  five  minutes  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  assault  those  who  remained  on  their  legs 
were  driven  headlong  out  into  Moor  Fields. 

Loud  rose  the  triumphant  cry  of  the  defenders,  "God 
and  King  Charles."  Some  hours  elapsed  before  any 
attempt  was  made  to  renew  the  assault.  Then  toward 
evening  fresh  troops  were  brought  up  from  Westminster, 
and  the  attack  was  renewed  on  two  sides.  Still  the  ap- 
prentices held  their  own.  Attack  after  attack  was 
repulsed.  All  night  the  fight  continued,  and  when 
morning  dawned  the  Royalists  were  still  triumphant. 

"How  will  it  go,  think  you,  Jacob?"  Harry  asked. 

"They  will  beat  us  in  the  long  run,"  Jacob  sai5. 
''They  have  not  been  properly  led  yet.  When  they  are, 
guns  and  swords  must  prevail  against  clubs  and  stones.5' 

At  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  heavy  body  of 
cavalry  were  seen  approaching  from  Westminster.  The 
Roundheads  had  brought  up  Cromwell's  Ironsides,  the 
victors  in  many  a  hard-fought  field,  against  the  appren- 
tice boys  of  London.  The  Roundhead  infantry  ad- 
vanced with  their  horse.  As  they  approached  the  first 
barricade  the  cavalry  halted,  and  the  infantry  advanced 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  183 

alone  to  within  thirty  yards  of  it.  Then,  just  as  its  de- 
fenders thought  they  were  going  to  charge,  they  halted, 
divided  into  bodies,  and  entered  the  houses  on  either 
side,  and  appeared  at  the  windows.  Then,  as  the  Iron- 
sides came  down  at  a  gallop,  they  opened  a  heavy  fire  OB 
the  defenders  of  the  barricade.  Harry  saw  at  once  that 
the  tactics  now  adopted  were  irresistible,  and  that  further 
attempts  at  defense  would  only  lead  to  useless  slaughter, 
He  therefore  shouted: 

"Enough  for  to-day,  lads.  Every  man  back  to  his  owr? 
house.  We  will  begin  again  when  we  choose.  We  have 
given  them  a  good  lesson." 

In  an  instant  the  crowd  dispersed,  and  by  the  time  the 
Ironsides  had  dismounted,  broken  the  chains,  and  pulled 
down  the  barricade  sufficiently  to  enable  them  to  pass, 
Ludgate  Hill  was  deserted,  the  apprentices  were  back  in 
their  masters'  shops,  and  the  watermen  standing  by  their 
boats  ready  for  a  fare. 

Seeing  that  their  persons  were  known  to  so  many  of 
the  citizens,  and  would  be  instantly  pointed  out  to  the 
troops  by  those  siding  with  the  army,  who  had,  during 
the  tumult,  remained  quietly  in  their  houses,  watching 
from  the  windows  what  was  going  on,  Harry  and  his 
friends  hurried  straight  to  Aldersgate,  where  they  passed 
out  into  the  country  beyond.  Dressed  in  laborers' 
smocks,  which  they  had,  in  preparation  for  any  sudden 
flight,  left  at  the  house  of  a  Royalist  innkeeper,  a  mile 
cr  two  in  the  fields,  they  walked  to  Kingston,  crossed 
the  river  there,  and  made  for  Southampton. 

The  king  was  now  closely  confined  in  Carisbrook  Cas- 
tle. For  the  first  three  months  of  his  residence  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight  he  could  have  escaped  with  ease,  had  he 
chosen,  and  it  is  probable  that  Cromwell  and  the  other 
Headers  of  the  army  would  have  been  glad  that  he  should 
go,  and  thus  relieve  the  country  from  the  inconvenience 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIV ID BD. 

of  his  presence.  They  had  become  convinced  that  so 
*ong  as  he  lived  quiet  could  not  be  hoped  for.  While 
still  pretending  to  negotiate  with  them,  he  had  signed  a 
treaty  with  the  Scots,  promising  to  establish  Presby- 
terianism  in  England,  and  their  army  was  already  march* 
iing  south.  To  the  Irish  Papists  he  had  promised  free 
exercise  of  their  religion,  and  these  were  taking  up  arms 
and  massacring  all  opposed  to  them,  as  was  the  custom 
in  that  barbarous  country.  In  Wales  a  formidable  in- 
surrection had  broken  out.  Essex  and  Kent  were  up  in 
arms,  and,  indeed,  all  through  the  country  the  Koyalista 
were  stirring.  The  leaders  had  therefore  determined 
ispon  bringing  the  king  to  trial. 

At  Southampton  Harry  found  Sir  John  Berkeley  con- 
cealed in  a  house  where  he  had  previously  instructed 
Harry  he  might  be  looked  for.  He  told  him  that  the 
king  was  now  a  close  prisoner,  and  would  assuredly  escape 
if  means  could  be  provided.  Leaving  Sir  John,  Harry 
Joined  his  followers,  and  after  telling  them  the  circum- 
stances, they  walked  down  to  the  port.  Here  they 
entered  into  conversation  with  an  old  sailor.  Seeing 
that  he  was  an  honest  fellow,  and  in  no  way  disposed 
toward  the  fanatics,  Harry  told  him  that  he  and  those 
"with  him  were  Cavaliers,  who  sought  to  cross  over  into 
France. 

'•'There  is  a  boat,  there/'  the  sailor  said,  pointing  to  a 
lugger  which  was  lying  at  anchor  among  some   fishing 
boats.,  "that  will  carry  you.     The  captain,  Dick  Wilsor,, 
is  a  friend  of  mine,  and   often   makes  a  run   across   tc 
France  on  dark  nights,  and  brings  back  smuggled  goods 
L  know  where  he  can  be  found,  and  will  lead  you  to  him 
tf  it  so  pleases  you."     Upon  their  gladly  accepting  the 
offer  he  led  them  to  a  small  inn  by  the  water  side,  and 
introduced  them  to  the  captain  of  the  Moonlight,  for  so 
the  lugger  was  called.     Upon  receiving  a  hint  from  th* 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  185 

•sailor  that  his  companions  wished  to  speak  to  him  in 
private,  Wilson  led  the  way  upstairs  to  the  chamber  he 
occupied,,  Here  Harry  at  once  unfolded  to  him  the 
nature  of  the  service  he  required.  He  was  to  lay  with 
his  boat  off  the  bank  of  the  island,  making  to  sea  before 
daylight,  and  returning  after  dusk,  and  was  to  take  his 
station  off  a  gap  in  the  cliffs,  known  as  Black  Gang 
Chine,  where  a  footpath  from  above  descended  to  the 
beach.  Upon  a  light  being  shown  three  times  at  the 
water's  edge  he  was  to  send  a  boat  immediately  ashore, 
and  embarking  those  whom  he  might  find  there,  sail  for 
France.  If  at  the  end  of  the  week  none  should  come, 
he  would  know  that  his  services  would  not  be  required, 
and  might  sail  away  whither  he  listed.  He  was  to 
receive  fifty  guineas  at  once  for  the  service,  and  if  IIQ 
transported  those  who  might  come  down  to  the  shore, 
to  France,  he  would,  on  arriving  there,  be  paid  two 
hundred  and  fifty  more. 

"It  is  the  king,  of  course,  who  seeks  to  escape,"  the 
sailor  said.  "Well,  young  gentlemen,  for  such  I  doubt 
not  that  you  are,  I  am  ready  to  try  it.  We  saifors  are 
near  all  for  the  king,  and  the  fleet  last  week  declared 
for  him,  and  sailed  for  Holland.  So,  once  on  board, 
there  will  be  little  danger.  Pay  me  the  fifty  guineas  at 
once,  and  you  may  rely  upon  the  Moonlight  being  at  the 
point  named." 

Harry  handed  over  the  money,  and  arranged  that  on 
the  third  night  following  the  lugger  should  beat  the  posi 
appointed,  and  that  it  should  at  once  run  them  across 
and  land  them  at  Oowes.  It  was  now  the  middle  of 
May,  and  Harry  and  his  friends,  who  were  still  in  the  dis* 
guise  of  countrymen,  walked  across  to  Newport.  Their 
first  step  was  to  examine  the  castle.  It  lay  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  town,  was  surrounded  by  a  high  wall  with 
towers,  and  could  offer  a  strong  resistance  to  an  attack- 


180  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

ing  force.  At  the  back  of  the  castle  was  a  small  postern 
gate,  at  which  they  decided  that  his  escape  must,  if  pos- 
sible, be  made.  Harry  had  been  well  supplied  with 
money  by  Sir  John  Berkeley  before  leaving  Southamp- 
ton, Sir  John  himself,  on  account  of  his  figure  being  sc 
well  known  at  Newport,  during  his  stay  there  with  the 
king,  deeming  it  imprudent  to  take  any  personal  part  in 
the  enterprise.  After  an  examination  of  the  exterior  of 
the  castle  Harry  bought  a  large  basket  of  eggs,  and 
some  chickens,  and  with  these  proceeded  to  the  castle. 
There  was  a  gaard  at  the  gate,  but  persons  could  freely 
enter.  As  Barry's  wares  were  exceedingly  cheap  in 
price,  he  speedily  effected  a  sale  of  them  to  the  soldiers 
and  servants  of  the  officers. 

"I  should  like/'  he  said  to  the  man  to  whom  he  dis- 
posed of  the  last  of  the  contents  of  his  basket,  "to  catch 
a  sight  of  the  king.  I  ha'  never  seen  him." 

"That's  easy  enough,"  the  man  said.  "Just  mount 
these  stairs  with  me  to  the  wall.  He  is  walking  in  the 
garden  at  the  back  of  the  castle." 

Harry  followed  the  man,  and  presently  reached  a  spot 
where  he  could  look  down  into  the  garden.  The  king 
was  pacing  up  and  down  the  walk,  his  head  bent,  hi& 
hands  behind  his  back,  apparently  in  deep  thought.  An 
attendant,  a  short  distance  behind  him,  followed  his 
steps. 

"Be  that  the  king?"  Harry  asked.  "He  don't  look 
like  a  king." 

"That's  him,"  the  man  said,  "and  he's  not  much  of  a 
king  at  present." 

"Where  does  he  live  now?'    Harry  asked. 

"That  is  his  room,"  the  man  said,  pointing  to  a  win- 
dow some  ten  feet  from  the  ground.  After  a  little 
further  conversation  Harry  appeared  to  be  satisfied,  and 
returning  to  the  courtyard,  made  his  way  from  the  castle. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

During  that  day  and  the  next  they  remained  quiet, 
except  that  Jacob  walked  over  to  Cowes,  where  he  pur- 
chased two  very  fine  and  sharp  saws,  and  a  short  length 
of  strong  rope,  with  a  hook.  The  following  night  they 
hired  a  cart  with  a  fast  horse,  and  this  they  placed  at  a 
spot  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  castle. 

Leaving  the  man  in  charge  of  it  there,  Harry  and  his 
companions  made  for  the  back  of  the  castle.  They  could 
tell  by  the  calls  upon  the  walls  that  the  sentries  were 
watchful,  but  the  night  was  so  dark  that  they  had  no 
fear  whatever  of  being  seen.  Very  quietly  they  crossed 
the  moat,  which  was  shallow,  and  with  but  little  water 
in  it.  Then  with  an  auger  they  cut  four  holes  in  a 
square  two  feet  each  way  in  the  door,  and,  with  a  saw, 
speedily  cut  the  piece  inclosed  by  them  out,  and  creep- 
ing through,  entered  the  garden.  The  greater  part  of 
the  lights  were  already  extinguished,  but  that  in  the 
king's  chamber  was  still  burning.  They  made  their  way 
quietly  until  they  stood  beneath  this  window,  and  waited 
until  the  light  here  was  also  pat  out.  Then  Harry 
climbed  on  to  the  shoulders  of  his  companions,  which 
brought  his  face  on  a  level  with  the  window.  He  tapped 
at  it.  The  king,  who  had  been  warned  that  his  friends 
would  attempt  to  open  a  means  of  escape,  at  once  came 
to  the  window,  and  threw  open  the  casement. 

"Who  is  there?"  he  asked,  in  low  tones. 

"It  is  I,  Harry  Furness,  your  majesty.  I  have  two 
trusty  friends  with  me.  We  have  cut  a  hole  through  the 
postern  gate,  a  cart  is  waiting  without,  and  a  ship  lies 
ready  to  receive  you  on  the  coast." 

"I  am  ready/*  the  king  said.  "Thanks,  my  faithful 
servant.  But  have  you  brought  something  to  cut  the 
bars?" 

"The  bars!"  Henry  exclaimed,  aghast.  "I  did  not 
know  that  there  were  bars!" 


188  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 

"There  'are,  indeed,  Master  Furness,"  the  king  said, 
"and  if  you  have  no  file  the  enterprise  is  ruined." 

Harry  put  his  hands  on  the  stonework  and  pulled 
himself  up,  and  felt  the  bars  within  the  window. 

"They  are  too  strong  for  our  united  strength,"  he 
said,  in  a  tone  of  deep  disappointment.  "But  methinks 
it  is  possible  to  get  between  them,"  Putting  his  head 
between  the  bars  he  struggled  though,  but  with  great 
difficulty.  "See,  your  majesty,  I  have  got  through." 

"Ay,  Master  Furness,  but  you  are  slighter  in  figure 
than  I,  although  you  are  changed  indeed  since  first  the 
colonel,  your  father,  presented  you  to  me  at  Oxford. 
However,  I  will  try."  The  king  tried,  but  in  vain.  He 
was  stouter  than  Harry,  although  less  broadly  built,  and 
had  none  of  the  lissomness  which  enabled  the  latter  to 
wriggle  through  the  bars.  "It  is  useless,"  he  said  at 
last.  "Providence  is  against  me.  It  is  the  will  of  God 
that  I  should  remain  here.  It  may  be  the  decree  of 
Heaven  that  even  yet  I  may  sit  again  on  the  throne  of 
my  ancestors.  Now  go,  Master  Furness.  It  is  too  late 
to  renew  the  attempt  to-night.  Should  Charles  Stuart 
ever  reign  again  over  England,  he  will  not  forget  your 
faithful  service." 

Harry  kissed  the  king's  hand,  and  with  a  prayer  for 
his  welfare  he  again  made  his  way  through  the  bars  and 
dropped  from  the  window,  by  the  side  of  his  companions, 
the  tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks  with  the  disap- 
pointment and  sorrow  he  felt  at  the  failure  of  his  enter- 
prise. "It  is  all  over,"  he  said.  "The  king  cannot 
force  his  way  through  the  bars." 

Without  another  word  they  made  their  way  down  to 
the  postern,  passed  through  it,  and  replaced  the  piece  of 
wood  in  its  position,  in  the  faint  hope  that  it  might 
escape  notice.  Then  they  rejoined  the  driver  with  the 
cart,  paid  him  handsomely*  and  told  him  that  hie  serv- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  IS* 

ices  would  not  be  required  that  night  at  least.  Thej 
then  returned  to  their  lodgings  in  the  town.  The  nexk 
morning  early  Jacob  started  for  Cowes  to  buy  som* 
sharp  files  and  aquafortis,  but  an  hour  later  the  new* 
passed  through  Newport  that  an  attempt  had  been  mad* 
in  the  night  to  free  the  king,  that  a  hole  had  been  cuk 
in  the  postern,  and  the  marks  of  footsteps  discovered, 
under  the  king's  window.  Perceiving  that  it  would  ba 
useless  to  renew  the  attempt  now  that  the  suspicions  of 
the  garrison  were  aroused,  Harry  and  William  Long, 
fearing  that  a  search  would  be  instituted,  at  once  started 
for  Oowes.  They  met  Jacob  close  to  that  town,  crossed 
in  a  boat  to  the  mainland,  and  walked  to  Southampton. 
They  hesitated  whether  they  should  join  Lord  Goring, 
who  had  risen  in  Kent,  or  Lord  Capel  and  Sir  Charles 
Lucas,  who  had  collected  a  large  force  at  Colchester. 
They  determined  upon  the  latter  course,  as  the  move- 
ment appeared  to  promise  a  better  chance  of  success. 
Taking  passage  in  a  coaster,  they  sailed  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Thames,  and  being  landed  near  Tilbury,  made  their 
way  to  Colchester.  Harry  was,  on  his  arrival,  welcomed 
by  the  Royalist  leaders,  who  were  well  acquainted  with 
him.  They  proposed  to  march  upon  London,  whicb 
would,  they  felt  sure,  declare  for  the  king  upon  their 
approach.  They  had  scarcely  set  their  force  in  motion 
when  they  heard  that  Fairfax,  at  the  head  of  an  army, 
was  marching  against  them.  A  debate  was  held  among 
the  leaders  as  to  the  best  course  to  pursne.  Some  wer* 
for.  marching  north,  but  the  eastern  counties  had,  from 
the  commencement  of  the  troubles,  been  wholly  on  th* 
side  of  the  Parliament.  Others  were  for  dispersing  the 
bands,  and  awaiting  a  better  opportunity  for  a  rising, 
Sir  Charles  Lucas,  however,  urged  that  they  should 
defend  Colchester  to  the  last. 
"Here,"  he  said,  "we  are  doing  good  service  to  thr 


1 

190  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Royal  cause,  and  by  detaining  Fairfax  here,  we  shall 
give  time  to  our  friends  in  Wales,  Kent,  and  other  parts 
to  rise  and  organize.  If  it  is  seen  that  whenever  we 
meet  the  Roundheads  we  disperse  at  once,  hope  and  con- 
fidence will  be  lost." 

The  next  day  the  town  was  invested  by  Fairfax,  and 
shortly  after  the  siege  began  in  earnest.  The  Royalists 
fought  with  great  bravery,  and  for  two  months  every 
attempt  of  the  Roundheads  to  storm  the  place  was  re- 
pulsed. At  length,  however,  supplies  ran  short,  several 
breaches  had  been  made  in  the  walls  by  the  Roundhead 
artillery,  and  a  council  of  war  was  held,  at  which  it  was 
decided  that  further  resistance  was  useless,  and  would 
only  inflict  a  great  slaughter  upon  their  followers,  who, 
in  the  event  of  surrender,  would  for  the  most  part  be 
permitted  to  return  to  their  homes.  Harry  Furness  was 
present  at  the  council  and  agreed  to  the  decision.  He 
said,  however,  that  he  would  endeavor,  with  his  two  per- 
sonal followers,  to  effect  his  escape,  as,  if  he  were  taken 
a  prisoner  to  London,  he  should  be  sure  to  be  recog- 
nized there  as  the  leader  of  the  rising  in  May,  in  which 
case  he  doubted  not  that  little  mercy  would  be  shown 
to  him.  The  Royalist  leaders  agreed  with  him,  but 
pointed  out  that  his  chances  of  escape  were  small,  as  the 
town  was  closely  beleaguered.  Harry,  however,  declared 
that  he  preferred  the  risk  of  being  shot  while  endeavoring 
to  escape,  to  the  certainty  of  being  executed  if  carried 
to  London. 

That  night  they  procured  some  bladders,  for  although 
Jacob  and  Harry  were  able  to  swim,  William  Long  could 
not  do  so,  and  in  any  case  it  was  safer  to  float  than  to 
swim.  The  bladders  were  blown  out  and  their  necks 
securely  fastened.  The  three  adventurers  were  then 
lowered  from  the  wall  by  ropes,  and  having  fastened  the 
bladders  around  them,  noiselessly  entered  the  water.  A 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  191 

numerous  flotilla  of  ships  and  boats  of  the  Commons 
lay  below  the  town;  the  tide  was  running  out,  however, 
and  the  night  dark,  and  keeping  hold  of  each  other,  so 
as  not  to  be  separated  by  the  tide,  they  drifted  through 
these  unobserved.  Once  safely  out  of  hearing,  Jacob  and 
Harry  struck  out  and  towed  their  companion  to  shore. 
While  at  Colchester  they  had  been  attired  as  Royalist 
officers,  but  they  had  left  these  garments  behind  them, 
and  carried,  strapped  to  their  shoulders,  above  water, 
the  countrymen's  clothes  in  which  they  had  entered  the 
town.  They  walked  as  far  as  Brentwood,  where  they 
stopped  for  a  few  days,  and  learned  the  news  of  what  was 
passing  throughout  the  country. 

Colchester  surrendered  on  the  27th  of  August,  the 
morning  after  they  left  it.  Lord  Capel  was  sent  a 
prisoner  to  London  to  be  tried  for  his  life;  but  Fairfax 
caused  Sir  Charles  Lucas  and  Sir  George  Lisle  to  be  tried 
by  court-martial,  and  shot.  On  the  10th  of  July  the 
town  and  castle  of  Pembroke  had  surrendered  to  Crom- 
well, who  immediately  afterward  inarched  north  to  meet 
the  Scotch  army,  which  six  days  before  had  entered  Eng- 
land. The  Duke  of  Hamilton,  who  commanded  it,  was 
at  once  joined  by  five  thousand  English  Eoyalists  under 
Sir  Marmaduke  Langdale.  General  Lambert,  who  com- 
manded the  Parliamentary  troops  in  the  north,  fell  back 
to  avoid  a  battle  until  Cromwell  could  join  him. 

The  Scotch  army  could  not  be  called  a  national  force. 
The  Scotch  Parliament,  influenced  by  the  Duke  of 
Hamilton  and  others,  had  entered  into  an  agreement 
with  King  Charles,  and  undertook  to  reinstate  him  on 
the  throne.  The  more  violent  section,  headed  by  Argyll, 
were  bitterly  hostile  to  the  step.  The  Duke  of  Hamil- 
ton's army,  therefore,  consisted  entirely  of  raw  and  un- 
disciplined troops.  Cromwell  marched  with  great  speed 
through  Walee  to  Gloucester,  and  then  on  through 


|92  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Leicester  and  Nottingham,  and  joined  Lambert  at  Barnet 
Castle  on  the  12th  of  August.  Then  he  marched  'against 
the  Scotch  army,  which,  straggling  widely  and  thinking 
Cromwell  still  at  a  distance,  was  advancing  toward  Man- 
chester. On  the  16th  the  duke  with  his  advanced 
guard  was  at  Preston,  with  Langdale  on  his  left.  Crom- 
well attacked  Langdale  with  his  whole  force  next  morn- 
ing, and  the  Royalists  after  fighting  stoutly  were  entirely 
defeated.  Then  he  fell  upon  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  and 
the  force  under  him  at  Preston,  and  after  four  hours' 
sharp  fighting  in  the  inclosures  round  the  place,  de- 
feated and  drove  them  out  of  the  town.  That  night 
the  Scots  determined  to  retreat,  and  at  once  began  to 
scatter.  General  Baillie,  after  some  hard  fighting 
around  Warrington,  surrendered  with  his  division.  The 
duke  with  three  thousand  men  went  to  Nantwich.  The 
country  was  hostile,  his  own  troops,  wearied  and  dis- 
pirited, mutinied,  and  declared  they  would  fight  no 
longer;  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  thereupon  surrendered,, 
and  the  Scotch  invasion  of  England  came  to  an  end. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIViHSD. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  EXECUTION  OF  KING  CHARLES. 

THE  news  of  the  failure  of  the  Welsh  insurrection  and 
the  Scotch  invasion,  while  the  risings  in  Kent  and  Essex 
were  crushed  out,  showed  Harry  Furness  that,  for  the 
time  at  least,  there  was  no  further  fighting  to  be  done. 
Cromwell,  after  the  defeat  of  the  Scotch,  marched  with 
his  army  to  Edinburgh,  where  he  was  received  with  en- 
thusiasm by  Argyll  and  the  fanatic  section,  who  were 
now  again  restored  to  power,  and  recommenced  a  cruel 
persecution  of  all  suspected  of  Royalist  opinions.  Now 
that  the  Scotch  had  been  beaten,  and  the  Royalist  rising 
everywhere  crushed  out,  the  Parliament  were  seized  with 
fear  as  to  the  course  which  Cromwell  and  his  victorious 
army  might  pursue.  If  they  had  been  so  arrogant  and 
haughty  before,  what  might  not  be  expected  now. 
Negotiations  were  at  once  opened  with  the  king.  He 
was  removed  from  Carisbrook  to  a  good  house  at  New- 
port. Commissioners  came  down  there,  and  forty  days 
were  spent  in  prolonged  argument,  and  the  commission- 
ers returned  to  London  on  the  28th  of  November  with  a 
treaty  signed.  It  was  too  late.  The  army  stationed  at 
St.  Albans  sent  in  a  remonstrance  to  Parliament,  calling 
apon  them  to  bring  the  king  to  trial,  and  stating  that 
if  Parliament  neglected  its  duty  the  army  would  take 
the  matter  into  its  own  hands.  This  remonstrance 
caused  great  excitement  in  the  Commons.  No  steps  were 
taken  upon  it  however,  and  the  Commons  proceeded  to 


,94  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

discuss  the  treaty,  and  voted  that  the  king's  concessions 
»vere  sufficient.  On  the  29th  a  body  of  soldiers  went 
across  to  the  Isle  of  Wight,  surrounded  the  king's  house, 
seized  him  and  carried  him  to  Hurst  Castle.  The  next 
day  Parliament  voted  that  they  would  not  debate  the 
remonstrance  of  the  army,  and  in  reply  the  army  at 
Windsor  marched  on  the  2d  of  December  into  Lon- 
don. On  the  5th  the  Commons  debated  all  day  upon 
the  treaty. 

Prynne,  formerly  one  of  the  stanchest  opposers  of 
King  Charles,  spoke  with  others  strongly  in  his  favor, 
and  it  was  carried  by  a  hundred  and  twenty-nine  to 
thirty-eight.  The  same  day  some  of  the  leaders  of  the 
army  met,  and  determined  to  expel  from  the  house  all 
those  opposed  to  their  interests.  On  the  7th  the  Trained 
Bands  of  the  city  were  withdrawn  from  around  the 
House,  and  Colonel  Pride  with  his  regiment  of  foot  sur- 
rounded it.  As  the  members  arrived  forty-one  of  them 
were  turned  back.  The  same  process  was  repeated  on 
the  two  following  days,  until  over  a  hundred  members 
had  been  arrested.  Thus  the  army  performed  a  revolu- 
tion such  as  no  English  sovereign  has  dared  to  carry 
out.  After  this  it  is  idle  to  talk  of  the  Parliament  as  in 
-any  way  representing  the  English  people.  The  repre- 
sentatives who  supported  the  king  had  long  since  left  it. 
The  whole  of  the  moderate  portion  of  those  who  had 
opposed  him,  that  is  to  say,  those  who  had  fought  to 
support  the  liberties  of  Englishmen  against  encroach- 
ments by  the  king,  and  who  formed  the  majority  after 
ohe  Royalists  had  retired,  were  now  expelled;  there  re- 
mained only  a  small  body  of  fanatics  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  army,  and  determined  to  crush  out  all 
liberties  of  England  under  its  armed  heel.  This  was  tha 
body  before  whom  the  king  waa  ere  long  to  undergo  the 
mockery  of  a  trial. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  195 

King  Charles  was  taker,  to  Hurst  Castle  on  the  17th  of 
December,  and  three  days  later  carried  to  Windsor.  On 
the  3d  of  January,  1649,  the  Commons  voted  that  in 
making  war  against  the  Parliament  the  king  had  been 
guilty  of  treason,  and  should  be  tried  by  a  court  of  a 
hundred  and  fifty  commissioners.  The  Peers  rejected 
the  bill,  and  the  Commons  then  voted  that  neither  the 
assent  of  the  Peers  nor  the  king  was  necessary  for  a  law 
passed  by  themselves. 

All  the  encroachments  of  King  Charles  together  were 
as  nothing  to  this  usurpation  of  despotic  power. 

In  consequence  of  the  conduct  of  the  Peers,  the  num- 
ber of  commissioners  was  reduced  to  a  hundred  and 
thirty-five;  but  of  these  only  sixty-nine  assembled  at  the 
trial.  Thus  the  court  which  was  to  try  the  king  con- 
sisted only  of  those  who  were  already  pledged  to  destroy 
him.  Before  such  a  court  as  this  there  could  be  but 
one  end  to  the  trial.  When,  after  deciding  upon  their 
sentence,  the  king  was  brought  in  to  hear  it,  the  chief 
commissioner  told  him  that  the  charges  were  brought 
against  him  in  the  name  of  the  people  of  England,  when 
Lady  Fairfax  from  the  gallery  cried  out,  "It's  a  lie! 
Not  one-half  of  them."  Had  she  said  not  one  hun- 
dredth of  them,  she  would  have  been  within  the  mark. 

On  the  27th  sentence  was  pronounced.  On  the  29th 
the  court  signed  the  sentence,  which  was  to  be  carried 
out  on  the  following  day. 

From  the  time  when  Harry  Fnrness  left  Brentwood  at 
the  end  of  August  until  the  king  was  brought  to  London, 
he  had  lived  quietly  at  Southampton.  He  feared  to  re- 
turn home,  and  chose  this  port  as  his  residence,  in  order 
that  he  might,  if  necessary,  cross  into  France  at  short 
notice.  AVhen  the  news  came  that  the  king  had  been 
brought  up  from  Windsor,  Harry  and  his  friends  at  once 
rode  to  London.  Every  one  was  so  absorbed  in  the 


i96  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

great  trial  about  to  take  place  that  Harry  had  little  fear 
of  attracting  attention  or  of  being  molested  should  any 
one  recognize  in  the  young  gentleman  in  sober  attire  the 
rustic  who  had  led  the  rising  in  the  spring.  To  London, 
too,  came  many  other  Cavaliers  from  all  parts  of  the 
country,  eager  to  see  if  something  might  not  be  at- 
tempted to  rescue  the  king.  Throughout  London  the 
consternation  was  great  at  the  usurpation  by  the  rem- 
nant of  the  Commons  of  all  the  rights  of  the  Three  Es- 
tates, and  still  more,  at  the  trial  of  the  king.  The 
army,  however,  lay  in  and  about  London,  and,  with 
Cromwell  at  its  head,  it  would,  the  people  felt,  easily 
crush  out  any  attempt  at  a  rising  in  the  city.  Within  a 
few  hours  of  his  arrival  in  London,  Harry  saw  that  there 
was  no  hope  from  any  effort  in  this  direction,  and  that 
the  only  possible  chance  of  saving  the  king  was  by  his 
arranging  for  his  escape.  His  majesty,  on  his  arrival 
from  Windsor,  had  been  lodged  in  St.  James*  Palace, 
and  as  this  was  completely  surrounded  by  the  Round- 
head troops,  there  was  no  chance  of  effecting  an  inva- 
sion thence.  The  only  possible  plan  appeared  to  be  a 
sudden  attack  upon  his  guards  on  his  way  to  execution. 

Harry  gathered  round  him  a  party  of  thirty  Cavaliers, 
all  men  ready  like  himself  to  sacrifice  their  lives  for  the 
king.  Their  plan  was  to  gather  near  Whitehall,  where 
the  execution  was  to  take  place,  to  burst  through  the 
soldiers  lining  the  way,  to  cut  down  the  guards,  and 
carry  the  king  to  a  boat  in  readiness  behind  Whitehall. 
This  was  to  convey  him  across  to  Lambeth,  where  fleet 
horses  were  to  be  stationed,  which  would  take  him  down 
to  the  Essex  coast. 

The  plan  was  a  desperate  one,  but  it  might  possibly 
have  succeeded,  could  the  Cavaliers  have  gained  the 
position  which  they  wished.  The  whole  of  the  army 
was,  however,  placed  in  the  streets  and  passages  leading 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  107 

to  Whitehall,  and  between  that  place  and  the  city  the 
cavalry  were  drawn  up,  preventing  any  from  coming  in 
or  going  oat.  When  they  found  that  this  was  the  case, 
the  Cavaliers  in  despair  mounted  their  horses,  and  rode 
into  the  country,  with  their  hearts  filled  with  grief  and 
rage. 

On  the  30th,  an  hour  after  the  king's  execution,  proc- 
lamation was  made  that  whoever  should  proclaim  a  new 
king  would  be  deemed  a  traitor,  and  a  week  later,  the 
Commons,  now  reduced  to  a  hundred  members,  formally 
abolished  the  House  of  Peers.  A  little  later  Lord  Capel, 
Lord  Holland,  and  the  Duke  of  Hamilton  were  executed. 

Had  the  king  effected  his  escape,  Harry  Furness  had 
determined  to  return  to  Abingdon  and  live  quietly  at 
home,  believing  that  now  the  army  had  grasped  all 
power,  and  crushed  all  opposition,  it  was  probable  that 
they  would  abstain  from  exciting  further  popular  animos- 
ity by  the  persecution  of  those  who  had  fought  against 
them.  The  fury,  however,  excited  in  his  mind  by  the 
murder  of  the  king  after  the  mockery  of  a  trial,  deter- 
mined him  to  fight  to  the  last,  wherever  a  rising  might 
be  offered,  however  hopeless  a  success  that  rising  might 
appear.  He  would  not,  however,  suffer  Jacob  and  Will- 
iam Long  any  longer  to  follow  his  fortunes,  although 
they  earnestly  pleaded  to  do  so.  "I  have  no  hope  of 
success/'  he  said.  "I  am  ready  to  die,  but  I  will  not 
bring  you  to  that  strait.  I  have  written  to  my  father 
begging  him,  Jacob,  to  receive  you  as  his  friend  and 
companion,  and  to  do  what  he  can,  William,  to  assist  you 
in  whatever  mode  of  life  your  wishes  may  hereafter  lead 
you  to  adopt.  But  come  with  me  you  shall  not." 

Not  without  tears  did  Harry's  faithful  companions 
yield  themselves  to  his  will,  and  set  out  for  Abingdon, 
while  he,  with  eight  or  ten  comrades  as  determind  as 
himself,  kept  on  west  until  they  arrived  at  Bristol,  where 


198  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

they  took  ship  and  crossed  to  Ireland.  They  landed  at 
\Vaterford,  and  journeyed  north  until  they  reached  the 
army,  with  which  the  Marquis  of  Ormonde  was  besieging 
Dublin.  Nothing  that  Harry  had  seen  of  war  in  Eng- 
land prepared  him  in  any  way  for  the  horrors  which  he 
beheld  in  Ireland.  The  great  mass  of  the  people  there 
were  at  that  time  but  a  few  degrees  advanced  above 
savages,  and  they  carried  on  their  war  with  a  brutal 
cruelty  and  bloodshed  which  could  now  only  be  rivaled 
in  the  center  of  Africa.  Between  the  Protestants  and 
the  English  and  Scotch  settlers  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  wild  peasantry  on  the  other,  a  war  of  something  like 
extermination  went  on.  Wholesale  massacres  took  place, 
at  which  men,  women,  and  children  were  indiscriminately 
butchered,  the  ferocity  shown  being  as  great  upon  one 
side  as  the  other.  In  fact,  beyond  the  possession  of  a 
few  large  towns,  Ireland  had  no  claim  whatever  to  be  con- 
sidered a  civilized  country.  As  Harry  and  his  comrades 
rode  from  Waterford  they  beheld  everywhere  mined 
fields  and  burned  houses;  and  on  joining  the  army  of  the 
Marquis  of  Ormonde,  Harry  felt  even  more  strongly  than 
before  the  hopelessness  of  the  struggle  on  which  he  was 
engaged.  These  bands  of  wild,  half-clad  kernes,  armed 
with  pike  and  billhook,  might  be  brave  indeed,  but 
could  do  nothing  against  the  disciplined  soldiers  of  the 
Parliament.  There  were  with  Ormonde,  indeed,  better 
troops  than  these.  Some  of  the  companies  were  formed 
of  English  and  Welsh  Royalists.  Others  had  been  raised 
by  the  Catholic  gentry  of  the  west,  and  into  these  some 
sort  of  order  and  discipline  had  been  introduced.  The 
army,  moreover,  was  deficient  in  artillery,  and  not  more 
than  one-third  of  the  footmen  carried  firearms.  Harry 
was,  a  day  or  two  after  reaching  the  camp  of  Lord 
Ormonde,  sent  off  to  the  West  to  drill  some  of  the  newly- 
raised  levies  there.  It  was  now  six  years  since  he  had 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  199 

begun  to  take  an  active  part  in  the  war,  and  he  was 
between  twenty-one  and  twenty-two.  His  life  of  active 
exertion  had  strengthened  his  muscles,  broadened  his 
frame,  and  given  a  strength  and  vigor  to  his  tall  and 
powerful  figure. 

Foreseeing  that  the  siege  of  Dublin  was  not  likely  to 
be  successful,  Harry  accepted  his  commission  to  the 
West  with  pleasure.  He  felt  already  that  with  all  his 
devotion  to  the  Royalist  cause  he  could  not  wish  that 
the  siege  of  Dublin  should  be  successful;  for  he  saw  that 
the  vast  proportion  of  the  besieging  army  were  animated 
by  no  sense  of  loyalty,  by  no  interest  in  the  constitu- 
tional question  at  stake,  but  simply  with  a  blind  hatred 
of  the  Protestant  population  of  Dublin,  and  that  the 
capture  of  the  city  would  probably  be  followed  by  the 
indiscriminate  slaughter  of  its  inhabitants. 

He  set  out  on  his  journey,  furnished  with  letters  from 
Ormonde  to  several  influential  gentlemen  in  Gal  way. 
The  roads  at  first  were  fairly  good,  but  accustomed  to 
the  comfortable  inns  in  England,  Harry  found  the  rest- 
ing-places along  the  road  execrable.  He  was  amused  of 
an  evening  by  the  eagerness  with  which  the  people  came 
round  and  asked  for  news  from  Dublin.  In  all  parts  of 
England  the  little  sheets  which  then  did  service  as  news- 
papers carried  news  of  the  events  which  were  taking 
place.  It  is  true  that  none  of  the  country  population 
could  read  or  write;  but  the  alehouses  served  as  centers 
of  news.  The  village  clerk,  or,  perhaps,  the  squire's 
bailiff,  could  read,  as  could  probably  the  landlord,  and 
thus  the  news  spread  quickly  round  the  country.  In 
Ireland  news  traveled  only  from  mouth  to  mouth,  often 
becoming  strangely  distorted  on  the  way. 

Harry  was  greatly  struck  by  the  bareness  of  the  fields 
and  the  poverty  of  the  country;  and  as  he  journeyed 
further  west  the  country  became  still  wilder  and  more 


200  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

lonely.  It  was  seldom  now  that  he  met  any  one  who 
could  speak  English,  and  as  the  road  was  often  little 
more  than  a  track,  lie  had  great  difficulty  in  keeping  his 
way,  and  regretted  that  he  had  not  hired  a  servant 
knowing  the  country  before  leaving  the  army.  He  gen- 
erally, however,  was  able  to  obtain  a  guide  from  village 
to  village.  The  loneliness  of  the  way,  the  wretchedness 
of  the  people,  the  absence  of  the  brightness  and  comfort 
so  characteristic  of  English  life,  made  the  journey  an 
oppressive  one,  and  Harry  was  glad  when,  five  days  after 
leaving  Dublin,  he  approached  the  end  of  his  ride. 
Upon  this  day  he  had  taken  no  guide,  being  told  that  the 
road  was  clear  and  unmistakable  as  far  as  Gal  way. 

He  had  not  traveled  many  hours  when  a  heavy  mist 
set  in,  accompanied  by  a  keen  and  driving  rain,  in  his 
face.  With  his  head  bent  down,  Harry  rode  along,  pay- 
ing less  attention  than  usual  to  his  way.  The  mist  grew 
thicker  and  thicker.  The  horse  no  longer  proceeded  at 
a  brisk  pace,  and  presently  came  to  a  stop.  Harry  dis- 
mounted, and  discovered  that  he  had  left  the  road. 
Turning  his  horse's  head,  and  taking  the  reins  over  his 
arm,  he  tried  to  retrace  his  steps. 

For  an  hour  he  walked  along,  the  conviction  growing 
every  moment  that  he  was  hopelessly  lost.  The  ground 
was  now  soft  and  miry  and  was  covered  with  tussocks 
of  coarse  grass,  between  which  the  soil  was  black  and 
oozy.  The  horse  floundered  on  for  some  distance,  but 
with  such  increasing  difficulty  that,  upon  reaching  a  space 
of  comparatively  solid  ground,  Harry  decided  to  take 
him  no  further. 

The  cold  rain  chilled  him  to  the  bone,  and  after 
awhile  he  determined  to  try  and  make  his  way  forward  on 
foot,  in  hopes  of  finding,  if  not  a  human  habitation, 
some  walls  or  bushes  where  he  could  obtain  shelter  until 
the  weather  cleared.  He  fastened  the  reins  to  a  small 


PRIBNDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  201 

shrub,  took  oil  the  saddle  and  laid  it  on  the  grass,  spread 
the  horse  rng  over  the  animal  to  protect  it  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, and  then  started  on  his  way.  He  had  heard  of 
Irish  bogs  extending  for  many  miles,  and  deep  enough 
to  engulf  men  and  animals  who  might  stray  among 
them,  and  he  felt  that  his  position  was  a  serious  one. 

He  blamed  himself  now  for  not  having  halted  imme- 
diately he  perceived  that  he  had  missed  the  road.  The 
only  guide  that  he  had  as  to  the  direction  he  should  take 
was  the  wind.  On  his  way  it  had  been  in  his  face,  and 
he  determined  now  to  keep  it  at  his  back,  not  because 
that  was  probably  the  way  to  safety,  but  because  he 
could  see  more  easily  where  he  was  going,  and  he 
thought  by  continuing  steadily  in  one  direction  he  might 
at  last  gain  firm  ground.  His  view  extended  but  a  few 
yards  round  him,  and  he  soon  found  that  his  plan  of 
proceeding  in  a  straight  line  was  impracticable.  Often 
quagmires  of  black  ooze,  or  spaces  covered  with  light 
grass,  which  were,  he  found,  still  more  treacherous, 
barred  his  way,  and  he  was  compelled  to  make  consider- 
able detours  to  the  right  or  left  in  order  to  pass  them. 
Sometimes  widths  of  sluggish  water  were  met  with. 
For  a  long  time  Harry  continued  his  way,  leaping  lightlj 
from  tuft  to  tuft,  where  the  grass  grew  thickest,  some-, 
times  wading  knee-deep  in  the  slush  and  feeling  care- 
fully every  foot  lest  he  should  get  to  a  depth  whence  h& 
should  be  unable  to  extricate  himself.  Every  now  and 
then  he  shouted  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  in  hopes  that  he 
might  be  heard  by  some  human  being.  For  hours  he 
struggled  on.  He  was  no\v  exhausted  with  his  efforts, 
and  the  thickening  darkness  told  him  that  day  was  fad- 
ing. From  the  time  he  had  left  his  horse  he  had  met 
with  no  bush  of  sufficient  height  to  afford  him  the  slight- 
est shelter. 

Just  a&  he  was  thinking  whether  he  had  not  better 


202  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 

stop  where  he  was,  and  sit  down  on  the  firmest  tuft  he 
could  find  and  wait  for  morning,  when  perhaps  the  rain- 
storm might  cease  and  enable  him  to  see  where  he  was, 
he  heard,  and  at  no  very  great  distance,  the  sudden  bray 
of  a  donkey.  He  turned  at  once  in  the  direction  of  the 
sound,  with  renewed  hopes,  giving  a  loud  shout  as  he 
did  so.  Again  and  again  he  raised  his  voice,  and  pres- 
ently heard  an  answering  shout.  He  called  again,  and 
in  reply  heard  some  shouts  in  Irish,  probably  questions, 
but  to  these  he  could  give  no  answer.  Shouting  occa- 
sionally, he  made  his  way  toward  the  voice,  but  the  bog 
seemed  more  difficult  and  treacherous  than  ever,  and  at 
last  he  reached  a  spot  where  further  advance  seemed 
absolutely  impossible.  It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and 
Harry  was  about  to  sit  down  in  despair,  when  suddenly 
a  voice  sounded  close  to  him.  He  answered  again,  and 
immediately  a  barefooted  boy  sprang  to  his  side  from 
behind.  The  boy  stood  astonished  at  Harry's  appear- 
ance. The  latter  was  splashed  and  smeared  from  head 
to  foot  with  black  mire,  for  he  had  several  times  fallen, 
His  broad  hat  drooped  a  sodden  mass  over  his  shoulders, 
the  dripping  feather  adding  to  its  forlorn  appearance. 
His  high  riding  boots  were  gone,  having  long  since  been 
abandoned  in  the  tenacious  ooze  in  which  they  had 
stuck;  his  ringlets  fell  in  wisps  on  his  shoulder. 

After  staring  at  him  for  a  minute,  the  boy  said  some- 
thing in  Irish.  Harry  shook  his  head. 

His  guide  then  motioned  him  to  follow  him.  For 
some  time  it  seemed  to  Harry  that  he  was  retracing  his 
steps.  Then  they  turned,  and  by  what  seemed  a  long 
detour,  at  last  reached  firmer  ground.  A  minute  or  two 
later  they  were  walking  along  a  path,  and  presently 
stopped  before  the  door  of  a  cabin,  by  which  two  men 
were  standing.  They  exchanged  a  word  or  two  with  the 
bov,  and  then  motioned  to  Harry  to  enter.  A  peat  fire 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  203 

was  burning  on  the  hearth,  and  a  woman,  whose  age 
Harry  from  her  aspect  thought  must  he  enormous,  was 
crouched  on  a  low  stool  heside  it.  He  threw  off  his  rid- 
ing cloak  and  knelt  hy  her,  and  held  his  hands  over  the 
fire  to  restore  the  circulation.  One  of  the  men  lighted 
a  candle  formed  of  rushes  dipped  in  tallow.  Harry  paid 
no  heed  to  them  until  he  felt  the  warmth  returning  to 
his  limbs.  Then  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  addressed  them 
in  English.  They  shook  their  heads.  Perceiving  how 
wet  he  was  one  of  them  drew  a  bottle  from  under  the 
thatch,  and  pouring  some  of  its  contents  into  a  wooden 
cup  offered  it  to  him.  Harry  put  it  to  his  lips.  At 
first  it  seemed  that  he  was  drinking  a  mixture  of  liquid 
lire  and  smoke,  and  the  first  swallow  nearly  choked 
him.  However  he  persevered,  and  soon  felt  the  blood 
coursing  more  rapidly  in  his  veins.  Finding  the  impos- 
sibilty  of  conversing,  he  again  sat  down  by  the  fire  and 
waited  the  course  of  events.  He  had  observed  that  as  he 
entered  his  young  guide  had,  in  obedience  probably  to 
the  orders  of  one  of  the  men,  darted  away  into  the  mist. 

The  minutes  passed  slowly,  and  not  a  word  was  spoken 
in  the  cottage.  An  hour  went  by,  and  then  a  tramp  of 
feet  was  heard,  and,  accompanied  by  the  boy,  eight  or 
ten  men  entered.  All  carried  pikes.  Between  them 
and  the  men  already  in  the  hut  an  eager  conversation 
took  place.  Harry  felt  far  from  easy.  The  aspect  of 
the  men  was  wild  in  the  extreme.  Their  hair  was  long 
and  unkempt,  and  fell  in  straggling  masses  over  their 
shoulders.  Presently  one,  who  appeared  to  be  the 
leader,  approached  Harry,  who  had  now  risen  to  his 
feet,  and  crossed  himself  on  the  forehead  and  breast. 
Harry  understood  by  the  action  that  he  inquired  if  lie 
\vas  a  Catholic,  and  in  reply  shook  his  head. 

An  angry  murmur  ran  through  the  men.  Harry  re- 
pressed his  inclination  to  place  his  hand  on  his  pistols, 


204  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

which  he  had  on  alighting  from  his  horse  taken  from 
the  holsters  and  placed  in  his  bolt.  He  felt  that  even 
with  these  and  his  sword,  he  should  he  no  match  for  the 
men  around  him.  Then  he  bethought  of  the  letters  of 
which  he  was  a  bearer.  Taking  them  from  his  pocket  he 
held  them  out.  "Ormonde,"  he  said,  looking  at  the 
men. 

No  gleam  of  intelligence  brightened  their  faces  at  the 
word. 

Then  he  said  "Butler,"  the  Irish  family  name  of  the 
earl.  Two  or  three  of  the  men  spoke  together,  and 
Harry  thought  that  there  was  some  comprehension  of  his 
meaning.  Then  he  read  aloud  the  addresses  of  the  let- 
ters, and  the  exclamations  which  followed  each  named 
showed  that  these  were  familiar  to  the  men.  A  lively 
conversation  took  place  between  them,  and  the  leader 
presently  approached  and  held  out  his  hand. 

"Thomas  Blake,  Killicuddery,"  he  said.  This  was 
the  address  of  one  of  the  letters,  and  Harry  at  once  gave 
it  him.  It  was  handed  to  the  boy,  with  a  few  words  of 
instruction.  The  lad  at  once  left  the  hut.  The  men 
seemed  to  think  that  for  the  time  there  was  nothing 
more  to  be  done,  laid  their  pikes  against  the  wall,  and 
assumed,  Harry  thought,  a  more  friendly  aspect.  He 
reciprocated  their  action,  by  unbuckling  his  belt  and 
laying  asido  his  sword  and  pistols.  Fresh  peats  were 
piled  on  the  fire,  another  candle  was  lit,  and  the  party 
prepared  to  make  themselves  comfortable.  The  bottle 
and  wooden  cup  were  again  produced,  and  the  owner  of 
the  hut  offered  some  black  bread  to  his  visitor. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  205 


OHAPTEE  XVII. 

THE  SIEGE  OF  DROGHEDA. 

UNDER  the  influence  of  the  warm,  close  air  of  the  hut, 
and  the  spirits  he  had  taken,  Harry  soon  felt  drowsiness 
stealing  over  him,  and  the  leader,  perceiving  this, 
pointed  to  a  heap  of  dried  fern  lying  in  the  corner  of 
the  hut.  Harry  at  once  threw  himself  on  it,  and  in  a 
very  few  minutes  was  sound  asleep.  When  he  awoke 
daylight  was  streaming  in  through  the  door  of  the  hut. 
Its  inmates  were  for  the  most  part  sitting  as  when  he 
had  last  seen  them,  and  Harry  supposed  that  they  had 
talked  all  night.  The  atmosphere  of  the  hut  was  close 
and  stifling,  and  Harry  was  glad  to  go  to  the  door  and 
breathe  the  fresh  air  outside. 

The  weather  had  changed,  and  the  sun,  which  had 
just  risen,  was  shining  brightly.  The  hut  stood  at  the 
foot  of  a  long  range  of  stony  hills,  while  in  front 
stretched,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see,  an  expanse  of  brown 
bog.  A  bridle  path  ran  along  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  An 
hour  later  two  figures  were  seen  approaching  along  this. 
The  one  was  a  mounted  horseman,  the  other  running  in 
front  of  him,  at  a  long,  easy  trot,  was  Harry's  guide  of 
the  preceding  evening. 

On  reaching  the  cottage  the  gentleman  on  horseback 
alighted,  and,  advancing  to  Harry,  said: 

"Captain  Furness,  I  am  heartily  sorry  to  hear  that 
you  have  had  what  must  have  been  a  disagreeable  adven- 
ture. The  lad  here  who  brought  your  letter  told  me 


206  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

that  you  were  regarded  as  a  prisoner,  and  considered  to 
be  a  Protestant  emissary.  I  am  Tom  Blake,  and  I  live 
nearly  twenty  miles  from  here.  That  is  the  reason  why 
I  was  not  here  sooner.  I  was  keeping  it  up  with  some 
friends  last  night,  and  had  jnst  gone  to  bed  when  the 
messenger  arrived,  and  my  foolish  servants  pretended  I 
was  too  drunk  to  be  woke.  However,  when  they  did 
rouse  me,  I  started  at  once." 

"And  has  that  boy  gone  forty  miles  on  foot  since  last 
night?"  Harry  asked,  in  surprise. 

"Oh,  that's  nothing/'  Mr.  Blake  said.  "Give  him 
half  an  hour's  rest,  and  he'd  keep  up  with  us  back  to 
Killicuddery.  But  where  is  your  horse,  and  how  did  yon 
get  into  this  mess?  The  boy  tells  me  he  found  you  in 
the  bog." 

Harry  related  his  adventures. 

"You  have  had  a  lucky  escape  indeed,"  Mr.  Blake 
said.  "There  are  places  in  that  bog  thirty  feet  deep.  I 
would  not  try  to  cross  it  for  a  thousand  pounds  on  a 
bright  day,  and  how  you  managed  to  do  so  through  the 
mist  yesterday  is  more  than  I  can  imagine.  Now,  the 
tirst  thing  is  to  get  your  horse.  I  must  apologize  for  not 
having  brought  one,  but  the  fact  is,  my  head  was  not 
exactly  clear  when  I  started,  and  I  had  not  taken  in  the 
fact  that  you'd  arrived  on  foot.  My  servant  was  more 
thoughtful.  He  had  heard  from  the  boy  that  an  Eng 
lish  gentleman  was  here,  and  judging  that  the  larder 
was  not  likely  to  be  stocked,  he  put  a  couple  of  bottles 
of  claret,  a  cold  chicken,  and  some  bread  into  my  wallet. 
So  we  can  have  breakfast  while  they  are  looking  for  your 
horse.  The  ride  has  sharpened  my  appetite." 

Mr.  Blake  now  addressd  a  few  words  in  Irish  to  the 
men  clustered  round  the  door  of  the  hut.  One  of  them 
climbed  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  presently  shouted 
down  some  instructions,  and  another  at  once  started 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  £07 

"They  see  your  horse,"  Mr.  Blake  said,  "but  we  shall 
have  to  wait  for  two  or  three  hours.  It  is  some  four 
miles  off,  and  they  will  have  to  make  a  long  detour  to 
bring  it  back." 

Mr.  Blake  now  distributed  some  silver  among  the  men, 
and  these,  with  the  exception  of  the  master  of  the  house, 
soon  afterward  left.  Harry  heartily  enjoyed  his  break- 
fast, and  in  cheery  chat  with  his  host  the  time  passed 
pleasantly  until  the  peasant  returned  w'tv  the  horse  and 
saddle.  The  horse  was  rubbed  down  with  dry  fern,  and 
a  lump  of  black  bread  given  him  to  e°t. 

"What  can  I  do  for  the  boy?"  Harry  asked.  "I  owe 
him  my  life,  for  I  was  so  thoroughly  drenched  and  cold 
that  I  question  whether  I  should  have  lived  till  morning 
out  in  that  bog." 

"The  boy  thinks  nothing  of  it,"  Mr.  Blake  said.  "A 
few  hundred  yards  across  the  bog  night  or  day  is  noth- 
ing to  him." 

Harry  gave  the  lad  a  gold  piece,  which  he  looked  at  in 
wonder. 

"He  has  never  seen  such  a  thing  before,"  Mr.  Blake 
laughed.  "There,  Mickey,"  he  said  in  Irish,  "that's 
enough  to  buy  you  a  cow,  and  you've  only  got  to  build 
a  cabin  and  take  a  wife  to  start  life  as  a  man." 

The  boy  said  something  in  Irish. 

"I  thought  so,"  Mr.  Blake  laughed.  "You  haven't 
got  rid  of  him  yet.  He  wants  to  go  as  your  servant." 

Harry  laughed  too.  The  appearance  of  the  lad  in  his 
tattered  garments  was  in  contrast  indeed  to  the  usual 
aspect  of  a  gentleman's  retainer. 

"You'll  find  him  useful,"  Mr.  Blake  said.  "He  will 
inn  errands  for  you  and  look  after  your  horse.  These 
poor  iads  can  be  faithful  to  death.  You  cannot  do  bet- 
ter than  take  him." 

Mickey's  joy  when  he  was  told  that  he  might  accomDanv; 


208  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  English  gentleman  was  extreme.  He  handed  the 
money  he  had  received  to  his  father,  said  a  few  words  ot 
adieu  to  him,  and  then  started  on  ahead  of  the  horses. 

"He  had  better  wait  and  come  on  later,"  Harry  said. 
"He  must  be  utterly  tired  now." 

Mr.  Blake  shouted  after  the  boy,  who  turned  round, 
laughed,  and  shook  his  head,  and  again  proceeded  on 
his  way. 

"He  can  keep  up  with  us,"  Mr.  Blake  said.  "That 
horse  of  yours  is  more  fagged  than  he  is/' 

Harry  soon  found  that  this  was  the  case,  and  it  took 
them  nearly  four  hours'  riding  before  they  reached  Killi- 
cuddery.  Here  a  dozen  barefooted  men  and  boys  ran 
out  at  their  approach,  and  took  the  horses.  It  was  a 
large,  straggling  house,  as  good  as  that  inhabited  by  the 
majority  of  English  gentlemen,  but  Harry  missed  the 
well-kept  lawn,  the  trim  shrubberies,  and  the  general  air 
of  neatness  and  order  to  which  he  was  accustomed. 

"Welcome  to  Killicuddery,"  Mr.  Blake  said,  as  he 
alighted.  "Believe  me,  Captain  Furness,  you  won't  find 
the  wild  Irish,  now  you  are  fairly  among  them,  such 
dreadful  creatures  as  they  have  been  described  to  you. 
Well,  Norah,"  he  continued,  as  a  girl  some  sixteen 
years  of  age  bounded  down  the  steps  to  meet  him,  "how 
goes  it  with  you  this  morning?" 

"As  well  as  could  be  expected,  father,  considering 
that  you  kept  us  awake  half  the  night  with  your  songs 
and  choruses.  None  of  the  others  are  down  yet,  and 
it's  past  twelve  o'clock.  It's  downright  shameful." 

"Norah,  I'm  surprised  at  yon,"  Mr.  Blake  said,  laugh- 
ing. "What  will  Captain  Furness  think  of  Irish  girls 
when  he  hears  you  speaking  so  disrespectfully  to  yom 
father.  This  is  my  daughter  Norah,  Captain  Furness,, 
who  is,  I  regret  to  say,  a  wild  and  troublesome  girl. 
This,  my  dear,  is  Captain  Furness,  a  king's  officer,  who 
has  fought  through  all  the  battles  of  the  war." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"And  who  has  lately  been  engaged  in  a  struggle  with 
an  Irish  bog/'  the  girl  said,  laughing,  for  Harry's  gay 
dress  was  discolored  and  stained  from  head  to  foot. 

Harry  laughed  also. 

"I  certainly  got  the  worst  of  that  encounter,  Miss 
Norah,  as  indeed  has  been  the  case  in  most  of  those  in 
which  I  have  been  engaged.  I  never  felt  much  more 
hopeless,  when  I  thought  I  should  have  to  pass  the  night 
sitting  on  a  tuft  of  grass  with  mud  and  mist  all  round 
rne,  except  when  I  was  once  nearly  baked  to  death  in 
company  with  Prince  Rupert." 

<;It  must  have  been  a  large  oven,"  the  girl  laughed; 
Vkbut  come  in  now.  I  am  sure  you  will  both  be  ready 
for  breakfast.  Bnt  papa  would  keep  you  chattering 
here  all  day  if  I  would  let  him." 

Mr.  Blake,  Harry  soon  found,  was  a  widower,  and  his 
house  was  presided  over  by  his  eldest  daughter,  Kath- 
leen, to  whom  Harry  was  introduced  on  entering  the 
house.  As  it  was  now  some  hours  since  they  had  eaten 
the  food  which  Mr.  Blake  had  brought,  they  were  quite 
ready  for  another  meal,  at  which  they  were  soon  joined 
by  six  or  eight  other  gentlemen,  who  had  been  sleeping 
in  the  house.  Breakfast  over,  Harry  retired  to  his  room.* 
put  cm  a  fresh  suit  from  his  wallet,  and  rejoined  his  com- 
panions, when  a  sort  of  council  of  war  was  held.  Harry 
learned  that  there  was  no  difficulty  as  to  men,  as  any 
number  of  these  could  be  recruited  among  the  peasantry. 
There  was,  however,  an  entire  absence  of  any  arms  save 
pikes.  Harry  knew  how  good  a  weapon  are  these  when 
used  by  steady  and  well-disciplined  men.  The  match- 
locks of  those  days  were  cumbrous  arms,  and  it  was  at 
the  point  of  the  pike  that  battles  were  then  always 
decided. 

Mr.  Blake  begged  Harry  to  make  his  house  his  head- 
quarters during  his  stay  in  the  West,  and  the  invitation 


210  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

was  gladly  accepted.  The  letters  of  which  he  was  the 
bearer  were  dispatched  to  their  destinations,  and  a  few 
days  after  his  arrival  the  recipients  called  upon  him, 
and  he  found  himself  overwhelmed  with  invitations  a,nd 
offers  of  hospitality.  The  time  therefore  passed  very 
pleasantly. 

A  few  men  were  found  in  Galway  who  had  served  in 
the  wars.  These  were  made  sergeants  of  the  newly 
raised  regiment,  which  was  five  hundred  strong.  This 
was  not  embodied,  but  five  central  places  were  chosen  at 
a  distance  from  each  other,  and  at  these  the  peasants 
assembled  for  drill.  Several  of  the  sons  of  the  squires 
received  commissions  as  officers,  and  the  work  of  drilling 
went  on  briskly,  Harry  superintending  that  at  each  center 
by  turns.  In  the  evenings  there  were  generally  dinner 
parties  at  the  houses  of  one  or  other  of  the  gentry,  and 
Harry  greatly  enjoyed  the  life.  So  some  months  passed. 

In  July  the  news  came  that  the  Earl  of  Ormonde's 
force  outside  Dublin  had  been  routed  by  the  garrison, 
under  General  Jones,  the  governor,  and  shortly  after- 
ward Harry  received  orders  to  march  with  the  regiment 
to  join  the  earl,  who,  as  the  king's  representative,  for- 
warded him  at  the  same  time  a  commission  as  its  colonel, 
and  the  order  to  command  it. 

It  was  on  the  13th  of  August  that  Harry  with  his  force 
joined  the  army  of  Ormonde,  and  the  next  day  the  news 
came  that  Cromwell  had  landed  at  Dublin,  and  had 
issued  a  bloodthirsty  proclamation  against  the  Irish. 
Harry  was  at  once  ordered  to  march  with  his  regiment 
to  Tredah,  now  called  Drogheda,  a  seaport  about  forty- 
miles  north  of  Dublin.  At  this  town  Harry  found  in 
garrison  twenty-five  hundred  English  troops,  under  the 
command  of  Sir  Arthur  Ashton,  an  old  Royalist  officer, 
who  had  lost  a  leg  in  the  king's  service. 

During  the  six  months  he  had  passed  in  the  West 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDES. 

Harry  nad  found  Mike  an  invaluable  servant.  He  had, 
of  course,  furnished  him  with  decent  suits  of  clothes, 
but  although  willing  to  wear  shoes  in  the  house,  nothing 
could  persuade  Mike  to  keep  these  on  his  feet  when  em- 
ployed without.  As  a  messenger  he  was  of  the  greatest 
service,  carrying  Harry's  missives  to  the  various  posts  as 
quickly  as  they  could  have  been  taken  by  a  horseman. 
During  that  time  he  had  picked  up  a  great  deal  of  Eng- 
lish, and  his  affection  for  his  master  was  unbounded. 
He  had,  as  a  matter  of  course,  accompanied  Harry  on 
his  march  east,  and  was  ready  to  follow  him  to  the  end 
of  the  world  if  need  be. 

The  garrison  of  Drogheda  employed  themselves  busily 
in  strengthening  the  town  to  the  utmost,  in  readiness 
for  the  siege  that  Cromwell  would,  they  doubted  not,  lay 
to  it.  In  September  Cromwell  moved  against  the  place. 
He  was  prepared  to  carry  out  the  campaign  in  a  very 
different  spirit  to  that  with  which  he  had  warred  in  Eng- 
land. For  years  Ireland  had  been  desolated  by  the 
hordes  of  half-savage  men,  who  had  for  that  time  been 
burning,  plundering,  and  murdering  on  the  pretext  of 
fighting  for  or  against  the  king.  Cromwell  was  deter- 
mined to  strike  so  terrible  a  blow  as  would  frighten 
Ireland  into  quietude.  He  knew  that  mildness  would 
be  thrown  away  upon  this  people,  and  he  defended  his 
course,  which  excited  a  thrill  of  horror  in  England, 
upon  the  grounds  that  it  was  the  most  merciful  in  the 
end.  Certainly,  nowhere  else  had  Cromwell  shown  him- 
self a  cruel  man.  In  England  the  executions  in  cold 
blood  had  not  amounted  to  a  dozen  in  all.  The  common 
men  on  both  sides  were,  when  taken  prisoners,  always 
allowed  to  depart  to  their  homes,  and  even  the  officers 
were  not  treated  with  harshness.  It  may  be  assumed 
that  his  blood  was  fired  by  the  tales  of  massacre  and 
bloodshed  which  reached  him  when  he  landed.  The 


g]  I  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

times  were  stern,  and  the  policy  of  conciliating  rebela 
and  murderers  by  weak  concessions  was  not  even  dreamed 
of.  Still,  no  excuses  or  pleas  of  public  policy  can 
palliate  CrornwelPs  conduct  at  Drogheda  and  Wexford. 
He  was  a  student  and  expounder  of  the  Bible,  but  it  waa 
in  the  old  Testament  rather  than  the  new  that  prece- 
dents for  the  massacre  at  Drogheda  mus't  be  sought  for. 
No  doubt  it  had  the  effect  at  the  time  which  Cromwell 
looked  for,  but  it  left  an  impression  upon  the  Irish 
mind  which  the  lapse  of  over  two  centuries  has  not 
obliterated.  The  wholesale  massacres  and  murders  per* 
petrated  by  Irishmen  on  Irishmen  have  long  since  been 
forgotten,  but  the  terrible  vengeance  taken  by  Cromwell 
and  his  saints  upon  the  hapless  towns  of  Drogheda  and 
Wexford  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  Irish,  among 
whom  the  "curse  of  Cromwell"  is  still  the  deadliest 
malediction  one  man  can  hurl  at  another. 

Cromwell's  defenders  who  say  that  he  warred  mildly 
and  mercifully  in  England,  according  to  English  ideas, 
and  that  he  fought  the  Irish  only  as  they  fought  each 
other,  must  be  hard  driven  when  they  set  up  such  a  de- 
fense. The  fact  that  Murrogh  O'Brien,  at  the  capture 
of  Cashel,  murdered  the  garrison  who  had  laid  down 
their  arms,  and  three  thousand  of  the  defenseless  citi- 
zens, including  twenty  priests  who  had  fled  to  the  cathe- 
dral for  refuge,  affords  no  excuse  whatever  for  the 
perpetration  of  equal  atrocities  by  Cromwell,  and  no  im- 
partial historian  can  deny  that  these  massacres  are  a  foul 
and  hideous  blot  in  the  history  of  a  great  and,  for  the 
most  part,  a  kind  and  merciful  man. 

Upon  arriving  before  Drogheda  on  the  2-d  of  September 
Cromwell  at  once  began  to  throw  up  his  batteries,  and 
opened  fire  on  the  10th.  His  artillery  was  abundant, 
and  was  so  well  served  that  early  the  same  afternoon  two 
practical  breaches  were  made,  the  one  in  the  east,  in  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

wall  of  St.  Mary's  Churchyard,  the  other  to  the  south, 
in  the  wall  of  the  town.  Sir  Arthur  Ashton  had  placed 
Harry  in  command  at  St.  Mary's  Churchyard,  and  see- 
ing that  the  wall  would  soon  give  way  under  the  fire  of 
the  enemy's  artillery,  he  set  his  men  to  throw  up  an 
earthwork  behind. 

Seven  hundred  of  the  Roundheads  advanced  to  the 
assault,  but  so  heavy  was  the  fire  that  Harry's  troops 
poured  upon  them  that  they  were  forced  to  fall  back 
with  great  slaughter.  At  the  other  breach  they  were 
also  repulsed,  but  attacking  again  in  great  force  they 
made  their  way  in.  Near  this  spot  was  an  ancient 
tumulus,  called  the  Hill  Mount.  The  sides  of  this  were 
defended  by  strong  palisades,  and  here  the  Royalists, 
commanded  by  Sir  Arthur  Ashton  himself,  opposed  a 
desperate  resistance  to  the  enemy.  These,  supported  by 
the  guns  on  the  walls,  which  they  turned  against  the 
Mount,  made  repeated  attacks,  but  were  as  often  re- 
pulsed. The  loss,  however,  of  the  defenders  was  great, 
and  seeing  that  fresh  troops  were  constantly  brought 
against  them  they  at  last  lost  heart  and  surrendered,  on 
promise  of  their  lives;  a  promise  which  was  not  kept,  as 
all  were  immediately  massacred. 

Up  to  this  time  Harry  had  successfully  repulsed 
every  attack  made  upon  the  other  breach,  but  at  length 
the  news  of  the  Roundheads'  success  at  the  Mount 
reached  both  assailants  and  defenders. 

With  exulting  shouts  the  Roundheads  poured  over  the 
wall.  The  garrison,  headed  by  Harry  and  the  other 
officers,  strove  hard  to  drive  them  back,  but  it  was  use- 
less. Cromwell  and  Ireton  were  in  the  van  of  their 
troops,  and  these,  accustomed  to  victory,  hewed  their 
way  through  the  ranks  of  the  besieged.  Many  of  them 
lost  heart,  and,  throwing  down  their  arms,  cried  for 
quarter.  With  shouts  of  "No  quarter!"  "Hew  dowD 


ti4  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

i he  Amalakites!"  "Strike,  and  spare  not!"  the  Round* 
heads  cut  down  their  now  defenseless  foes.  Maddened 
&t  the  sight,  the  besieged  made  another  desperate  effort 
ftt  resistance,  and  for  awhile  fought  so  stoutly  that  the 
Roundheads  could  gain  no  ground  of  them. 

Presently,  however,  a  party  of  the  enemy  who  had 
forced  their  way  over  the  wall  at  another  point  took  them 
in  rear.  Then  the  garrison  fled  in  all  directions  pursued 
by  their  victorious  enemy,  who  slaughtered  every  man 
they  overtook.  Mike  had  kept  close  to  Harry  through 
the  whole  of  the  struggle.  He  had  picked  up  a  pike 
from  a  fallen  man,  and  had  more  than  once,  when  Harry 
was  nearly  surrounded  by  his  foes,  dashed  forward  and 
rid  him  of  one  of  the  most  pressing.  Seeing,  by  the 
general  slaughter  which  was  going  on,  that  the  Round- 
head soldiers  must  have  received  orders  from  their  gen- 
eral to  give  no  quarter,  Harry  determined  to  sell  his  life 
dearly,  and  rushed  into  a  church  where  a  score  of  the 
English  soldiers  were  taking  refuge.  The  door  was 
closed  and  barricaded  with  chairs  and  benches,  and  from 
the  windows  the  men  opened  fire  upon  the  Roundheads, 
who  were  engaged  in  slaying  all — men,  women  and 
children,  without  mercy.  Soon,  from  every  house 
around,  a  heavy  tire  was  poured  into  the  church,  and 
several  of  those  within  fell  dead  under  the  fire.  Under 
cover  of  this,  the  Roundheads  attacked  the  door  with 
axes.  Many  were  killed  by  the  fire  of  the  defenders,  but 
as  the  door  yielded,  Harry  called  these  from  their  post, 
and  with  them  ascended  the  belfry  tower.  Here  they 
prepared  to  fight  to  the  last. 

Looking  from  a  window,  Harry  beheld  a  sight  which 
thrilled  him  with  horror.  Gathered  round  a  cross, 
standing  in  an  open  space,  were  two  hundred  women  on 
their  knees.  Even  while  Harry  looked  a  body  of  Crom- 
well's saints  fell  upon  them,  hewing  and  cutting  with 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDBD.  215 

their  swords,  and  thrusting  with  their  pikes,  and  did  not 
desist  while  one  remained  alive.  And  these  were  the 
men  who  had  the  name  of  God  ever  on  their  lips!  When 
the  dreadful  massacre  began  Harry  turned  shuddering 
from  the  window,  and  with  white  face  and  set  teeth 
nerved  himself  to  fight  to  the  last.  Already  the  door 
had  been  beaten  down,  and  the  assailants  had  streamed 
into  the  church.  Then  a  rush  of  heavy  feet  was  heard 
on  the  stairs.  Assembled  round  its  top  stood  Harry  and 
the  twelve  men  remaining.  Each  knew  now  that  there 
was  no  hope  of  quarter,  and  fought  with  the  desperation 
of  men  who  cared  only  to  sell  t  eir  lives  dearly.  Fast 
as  the  Roundheads  poured  up  the  stairs,  they  fell, 
pierced  by  pike,  or  shot  down  by  .nusket  hall.  For  half 
an  hour  the  efforts  continued,  and  then  the  Roundheads, 
having  lost  over  fifty  men,  fell  back.  Three  times  dur- 
ing the  day  the  attack  was  ren  wed,  and  each  time  re- 
pulsed with  the  same  terrible  slaughter.  Between  the 
intervals  the  defenders  could  hear  the  never-ceasing 
sound  of  musket  and  pistol  firing,  as  house  after  house, 
defended  to  the  last  by  desperate  men,  was  stormed; 
while  loud,  even  above  the  firing,  rose  the  thrilling 
shrieks  of  dying  women  and  children. 

In  all  the  history  of  England,  from  its  earliest  times, 
there  is  no  such  black  and  ghastly  page  as  that  of  the 
sack  of  Drogheda.  Even  supposing  Cromwell's  asser- 
tion that  he  wished  only  to  terrify  the  Irish  rebels  to  be 
true,  no  shadow  of  an  excuse  can  be  pleaded  for  the 
massacre  of  the  women  and  children,  or  for  that  of 
the  English  Royalists  who  formed  five-sixths  of  the 
garrison. 

All  through  the  night  occasional  shrieks  and  pistol 
shots  could  be  heard,  as  the  wretched  people  who  had 
hidden  themselves  in  closets  and  cellars  were  discovered 
»nd  murdered.  No  further  assault  was  made  upon  the 


216  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

church  tower,  nor  was  there  any  renewal  of  it  next 
morning.  As  hour  after  hour  passed  on  Harry  con- 
cluded that,  deterred  by  the  great  loss  which  his  men 
had  already  sustained  in  endeavoring  to  capture  the 
post,  Cromwell  had  determined  to  reduce  it  by  starva- 
tion. 

Already  the  defenders  were,  from  the  effects  of 
exertion  and  excitement,  half-mad  with  thirst.  As  the 
day  went  on  their  sufferings  became  greater,  but  there 
was  still  no  thought  of  surrender.  The  next  day  two  of 
them  leaped  from  the  top  of  the  tower  and  were  killed 
by  their  fall.  Then  Harry  saw  that  it  was  better  to  give 
in. 

"My  lads/'  he  said,  "it  is  better  to  go  down  and  die 
by  a  bullet-shot  than  to  suffer  these  agonies  of  thirst, 
with  only  death  as  the  issue.  We  must  die.  Better  to 
die  in  our  senses  as  men,  than  mad  like  wild  beasts  with 
thirst.  Mike,  my  lad,  I  am  sorry  to  have  brought  you 
to  this  pass." 

Mike  put  his  parched  lips  to  his  master's  hand. 

"It  is  not  your  fault,  master.  My  life  is  no  differ  to 
any." 

The  men  agreed  to  Harry's  proposal.  There  was  a 
discussion  whether  they  should  go  down  and  die  fight- 
ing, or  not;  but  Harry  urged  upon  them  that  it  was  bet- 
ter not  to  do  so.  They  were  already  weak  with  hunger 
and  thirst,  and  it  would  be  more  dignified  to  meet  their 
fate  quiet  and  unresistingly.  They  accordingly  laid  by 
their  arms,  and,  preceded  by  Harry,  descended  the 
stairs. 

The  noise  of  their  footsteps  warned  the  soldiers  in  the 
church  below  of  their  coming,  and  these  formed  in  a 
semicircle  round  the  door  to  receive  the  expected  on- 
slaught. When  they  saw  that  the  Royalists  were 
unarmed  they  lowered  their  weapons,  and  an  officer  said: 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  217 

''Take  these  men  out  into  the  street,  and  shoot  them 
there,  according  to  the  general's  orders." 

Calmly  and  with  dignity  Harry  marched  at  the  head 
of  his  little  party  into  the  street.  They  were  ranged 
with  their  backs  to  the  church,  and  a  firing  party  took 
their  places  opposite  to  them. 

The  officer  was  about  to  give  the  order,  when  a  divine 
in  a  high-steepled  hat  came  up.  He  looked  at  the  pris- 
oners, and  then  rapidly  advanced  between  the  lines  and 
gazed  earnestly  at  Harry. 

"Is  your  name  Master  Furness?"  he  asked. 

"I  am  Colonel  Furness,  an  officer  of  his  majesty 
Charles  II.,"  Harry  said  coldly.  "What  then?" 

"I  am  Ebenezer  Stubbs,"  the  preacher  said.  "Do you 
not  remember  how  seven  years  ago  you  saved  my  life  at 
the  risk  of  your  own  in  the  streets  of  Oxford?  I  prom- 
ised you  then  that  if  the  time  should  come  I  would  do 
as  good  a  turn  to  yourself.  Captain  Allgood,"  he  said, 
"I  do  beseech  yon  to  stay  this  execution  until  I  have 
seen  the  general.  I  am,  as  you  know,  his  private  chap- 
lain,  and  I  am  assured  that  he  will  not  be  wroth  with 
you  for  consenting  to  my  request." 

The  influence  of  the  preacher  with  Cromwell  was  well 
known,  and  the  officer  ordered  his  men  to  ground  arms, 
although  they  muttered  and  grumbled  to  themselves  &> 
the  prospect  of  mercy  being  shown  to  men  who  had 
killed  so  many  of  their  companions.  A  quarter  of  a 
hour  later  the  preacher  returned  with  an  order  from  the 
general  for  the  prisoners  to  be  placed  in  durance. 

"I  have  obtained  your  life,"  the  preacher  said,  "but 
even  to  my  prayers  the  general  will  grant  no  more.  You 
and  your  men  are  to  be  sent  to  the  Bermudas." 

Although  Harry  felt  that  death  itself  would  be  almost 
preferable  to  a  life  of  slavery  in  the  plantations,  he 
thanked  the  preacher  for  his  efforts  in  his  behalf.  A 


218  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

week  later  Harry,  with  the  eight  men  who  had  been 
taken  with  him,  and  twenty-seven  others  who  had  been 
discovered  in  hiding-places,  long  after  the  capture  of 
the  place,  were  placed  on  board  a  ship  bound  for  the 
Bermudas,  the  sole  survivors  of  the  garrison — three 
thousand  strong — and  of  the  inhabitants  of  Drogheda. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  21* 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SLAVES   IN   THE   BERMUDAS. 

THE  Good  Intent,  upon  which  Harry  Furness  wit*v 
thirty-five  other  Eoyalist  prisoners  were  embarked,  wa* 
a  bark  of  two  hundred  tons.  She  carried,  in  addition 
to  the  prisoners,  sixty  soldiers,  who  were  going  out  t-> 
strengthen  the  garrison  of  Barbadoes.  The  prisoner! 
were  crowded  below,  and  were  only  allowed  to  come  o^ 
deck  in  batches  of  five  or  six  for  an  hour  at  a  time. 
Four  of  them  had  died  on  the  way,  and  the  others  wer* 
greatly  reduced  in  strength  when  they  landed.  As  sooi 
?is  they  reached  Bermuda  the  prisoners  were  assigned 
LIS  slaves  to  some  of  the  planters  most  in  favor  of  tb-i 
Commonwealth.  Four  or  five  were  allotted  to  each,  anil 
Harry  having  placed  Mike  next  to  him  at  the  end  of  tb* 
line,  when  they  were  drawn  up  on  lauding,  they  werf, 
together  with  two  others  of  the  soldiers  who  had  df^ 
fended  the  tower  of  Drogheda  with  him,  assigned  to  tb* 
same  master. 

"He  is  an  evil-looking  scoundrel,'7  Harry  said  to  tht 
Irish  boy.  "He  looks  even  more  sour  and  hypocriticpl 
than  do  the  Puritans  at  home.  We  have  had  a  lesson  of 
what  their  idea  of  mercy  and  Christianity  is  when  the* 
get  the  upper  hand.  I  fear  we  have  a  hard  time  before 
us,  my  lad." 

The  four  prisoners  were  marched  to  the  center  of  th» 
island,  which  seemed  to  Harry  to  be,  as  near  as  he  could 
tell,  about  the  size  of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  Their 


820  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

master  rode  in  front  of  them,  while  behind  rode  his  over- 
seer, with  pistols  at  his  holsters,  and  a  long  whip  in  his 
hand.  Upon  their  way  they  passed  several  negroes 
working  in  the  fields,  a  sight  which  mightily  astonished 
Mike,  who  had  never  before  seen  these  black  creatures. 
At  that  time  the  number  of  negroes  in  the  island  was 
comparatively  small,  as  the  slave  trade  was  then  in  its 
infancy.  It  was  the  want  of  labor  which  made  the  plant- 
ers so  glad  to  obtain  the  services  of  the  white  prisoners 
from  England.  Many  of  the  slaves  in  the  island  had 
been  kidnaped  as  boys  at  the  various  ports  in  England 
and  Scotland,  the  infamous  traffic  being  especially  car- 
ried on  in  Scotland. 

When  they  reached  the  plantation  the  horsemen 
alighted  in  the  courtyard  of  the  residence,  and  the 
planter,  whose  name  was  Zachariah  Stebbings,  told  the 
overseer  to  take  them  to  the  slave  quarters. 

"You  will  have/'  he  said  harshly,  "to  subdue  your 
pride  here,  and  to  work  honestly  and  hard,  or  the  lash 
will  become  acquainted  with  your  backs." 

"Look  you  here,  Master  Stebbings,  if  such  be  your 
name,"  Harry  said,  "a  word  with  you  at  the  beginning. 
We  are  exiled  to  this  place,  and  given  into  servitude  to 
you  through  no  crime  but  that  of  having  fought  bravely 
for  his  majesty  King  Charles.  We  are  men  who  care  not 
greatly  for  our  lives,  and  we  four,  with  seven  others, 
did,  as  you  may  learn,  defend  the  tower  of  Drogheda  for 
two  days  against  the  whole  army  of  Cromwell,  and  did 
only  yield  to  thirst,  and  not  to  force.  You  may  judge 
then,  of  our  mettle  from  that  fact.  Now,  hark  you; 
having  fallen  into  this  strait,  we  are  willing  to  conform 
to  our  condition,  and  to  give  you  fair  and  honest  work 
to  the  best  of  our  powers;  but  mind  you,  if  one  finger 
be  laid  on  us  in  anger,  if  so  much  as  the  end  of  a  whip 
touch  one  of  us,  we  have  s \voni  iliat  we  will  slay  him 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  221 

who  so  ventures,  and  you  also,  should  you  countenance 
it,  even  though  afterward  we  be  burned  at  the  stake  for 
doing  it.  That  is  our  bargain;  see  you  that  you  keep  to  it." 

So  stern  and  determined  were  Harry's  words,  so  fierce 
and  haughty  his  tone,  that  the  planter  and  his. overseer 
both  turned  pale  and  shrank  back.  They  saw  at  once  the 
manner  of  men  with  whom  they  had  to  deal,  and  felt 
that  the  threat  would  be  carried  out  to  the  fullest. 
Muttering  some  inarticulate  reply,  the  planter  turned 
and  entered  the  house,  and  the  overseer,  with  a  dog- 
ged, crestfallen  look,  led  the  way  to  the  slave  quarters. 
The  place  assigned  to  them  was  a  long  hut,  the  sides 
lightly  constructed  of  woven  boughs,  with  a  thick  thatch 
overhead.  Along  one  side  extended  a  long  sloping 
bench,  six  feet  wide*  This  was  the  bed  of  the  slaves* 

An  hour  afterward  the  other  inmates  of  the  hut  en- 
tered. They  consisted  of  four  white  men  who  had  beea 
kidnaped  as  boys,  and  two  who  had  been  apprentices, 
sent  out,  as  Harry  soon  learned,  for  their  share  in  the 
rising  in  the  city,  which  he  had  headed,  The  negroes 
on  the  estate,  some  twenty  in  number,  were  confined  in 
another  hut.  There  were,  besides,  four  guards,  one  of 
whom  kept  sentry  at  night  over  thw  hut,  while  another 
with  a  loaded  firearm  stood  over  them  while  they 
worked.  The  garrison  of  the  island  consisted,  as  Harry 
had  learned  before  landing,  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
soldiers,  besides  the  militia,  consisting  of  the  planters, 
their  overseers  and  guards,  who  would  number  altogether 
about  five  hundred  men. 

The  next  day  the  work  in  the  fields  began.  It  con* 
sisted  of  hoeing  the  ground  between  the  rows  of  young 
sugar  canas  and  tobacco  plants.  The  sun  was  extremely 
powerful,  and  the  perspiration  soon  flowed  in  streama 
from  the  newcomers.  They  worked,  however,  steadily 
and  well,  and  in  a  manner  which  gave  satisfaction  even 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

to  their  master  and  bis  overseer.  Harry  had  impressed 
upon  his  two  men  and  Mike  the  importance  of  doing 
nothing  which  could  afford  their  employer  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity for  complaint.  He  would  not,  Harry  felt  sure, 
venture  to  touch  them  after  the  warning  he  had  given, 
but  he  might  send  one  or  all  of  them  back  to  the  town, 
where  they  would  be  put  to  work  as  refractory  slaves  ©n 
the  fortifications,  and  where  their  lot  would  be  far 
harder  than  it  would  be  on  the  plantation.  He  urged 
upon  them  above  all  things  to  have  patience;  sooner  or 
later  the  people  of  England  would,  he  felt  sure,  recall 
the  young  king,  and  then  they  would  be  restored  to  their 
country.  But  even  before  that  some  mode  of  escape, 
either  by  ship,  or  by  raising  an  insurrection  in  concert 
with  the  white  slaves  scattered  through  the  island,  might 
present  itself. 

The  white  slaves  and  negroes  were  kept  as  far  as  pos- 
sible apart  during  their  work  in  all  the  plantations  in  the 
island.  The  whites  were  deemed  dangerous,  and  were 
watched  with  the  greatest  care.  The  blacks  were  a 
light-hearted  and  merry  race,  not  altogether  discontented 
with  their  position,  and  the  planters  did  their  utmost 
to  prevent  the  white  slaves  having  communication  with 
them,  and  stirring  them  up  to  discontent  and  rebellion. 
At  the  same  time  they  were  not  absolutely  forbidden  to 
speak.  Each  slave  had  a  small  plot  of  ground  assigned 
to  him  near  the  huts,  and  on  these,  after  the  day's  work 
was  over,  they  raised  vegetables  for  their  own  con- 
sumption. 

Mike,  who,  as  a  lad,  was  much  less  closely  watched 
than  the  men,  soon  made  friends  with  the  negroes.  He 
was  full  of  fun  and  mischief,  and  became  a  prime  favor- 
ite with  them.  He  learned  that  at  night,  as  no  watch 
was  kept  over  them,  they  would  often  steal  away  and 
chat  with  the  negroes  on  other  plantations,  and  that  so 


FRIENDS,  THOUGB  DIVIDED  223 

,ong  as  there  were  no  signs  of  discontent,  and  they  did 
iheir  work  cheerfully,  the  masters  placed  no  hindrance 
upon  such  meetings.  Often  at  night,  indeed,  the  sound 
of  the  negro  singing  and  music  could  be  heard  by  the 
prisoners,  the  overseers  troubling  themselves  in  no  way 
with  the  proceedings  of  their  slaves  after  nightfall,  so 
iong  as  their  amusements  did  not  interfere  with  their 
power  of  work  next  morning.  Mike  heard  also  that 
the  treatment  of  the  slaves,  both  white  and  black,  varied 
greatly  on  different  plantations,  according  to  the  nature 
of  their  masters.  In  some  the  use  of  the  lash  was  almost 
unknown,  the  slaves  were  permitted  many  indulgences, 
and  were  happy  and  contented;  while  in  others  they 
were  harshly  and  cruelly  treated.  Mr.  Stebbings  was 
considered  one  of  the  worst  masters  in  the  island,  and, 
indeed,  it  was  everywhere  noticed  that  the  masters  who 
most  conformed  to  the  usages  and  talk  of  the  Puritans 
at  home  were  the  most  cruel  taskmasters  to  their  slaves. 
Many  times  Harry  Furness*  blood  boiled  when  he  saw 
the  lash  applied  to  the  bare  shoulders  of  the  slaves, 
often,  as  it  seemad  to  him,  from  pure  wantonness  on  the 
part  of  the  overseer.  But  the  latter  never  once  ventured 
to  touch  Harry  or  his  three  companions. 

Through  the  negroes  Mike  learned  that  to  each  of  the 
four  plantations  adjoining  their  own  four  white  prison- 
ers had  been  assigned,  and  among  these,  Harry  found, 
on  obtaining  their  names,  were  the  other  five  soldiers 
who  had  fought  with  him  at  Drogheda. 

Mike  soon  took  to  going  out  at  night  with  the  negroes, 
making  his  way  through  a  small  opening  in  the  light 
wall  of  the  hut.  This  was  easily  closed  up  on  his  return, 
and  by  choosing  a  time  when  the  sentry  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  house,  he  had  no  difficulty  iu  leaving  or 
•ntering  unseen.  By  means  of  the  negroes  he  opened 
up  a  communication  with  the  other  soldiers,  and  in- 


£24  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

formed  them  tLat  Colonel  Furness  bade  them  hold  them- 
selves in  readiness  when  an  opportunity  for  escape  should 
arise.  It  might  he  weeks  or  even  months  before  this 
would  come,  but  the  signal  would  be  given  by  a  fire 
burning  at  daybreak  upon  a  hill  at  no  great  distance 
from  the  plantation.  He  bade  them  use  their  discretion 
&s  to  taking  any  white  slaves  with  them  into  their  confi- 
dence. At  nightfall,  after  seeing  the  column  of  smoke, 
they  were,  as  best  they  could,  to  make  their  way  from 
the  huts,  and  meet  in  a  clump  of  trees  near  the  house  of 
Mr.  Stebbings. 

Harry  had,  indeed  formed  no  distinct  plan  for  escape; 
but  he  wished,  should  an  opportunity  offer,  to  have  such  a 
body  of  men  at  hand  as  might  stand  him  in  good  stead. 

One  day,  about  a  month  after  their  arrival  on  the 
plantation,  the  overseer  brutally  beat  an  old  negro  who 
was  working  next  to  Mike.  The  old  man  resumed  his 
work,  but  was  so  feeble  that  he  in  vain  endeavored  to 
use  his  hoe,  and  the  overseer  struck  him  to  the  ground 
with  the  butt  end  of  his  whip.  Mike  instinctively 
dropped  his  hoe  and  sprang  to  lift  the  old  man  to  his 
feet.  The  infuriated  overseer,  enraged  at  this  interfer- 
ence, brought  down  his  whip  on  Mike's  head  and  felled 
him  by  the  side  of  the  negro.  In  an  instant  Harry 
sprang  forward,  armed  with  his  hoe;  the  overseer  seeing 
him  coming,  retreated  a  step  or  two,  drew  his  pistol  from 
his  belt  and  fired — the  ball  flew  close  to  Harry's  ear,  and 
the  latter,  whirling  his  hoe  round  his  head,  brought  it 
down  with  his  full  strength  upon  that  of  the  overseer;  the 
man  fell  in  his  tracks  as  if  smitten  with  lightning.  The 
guard  ran  up  with  his  musket  pointed,  but  Harry's  twa 
companions  also  advanced,  armed  with  their  hoes,  and 
the  guard,  seeing  that  even  if  he  shot  one,  he  should 
assuredly  be  killed  by  the  others,  took  to  his  heels  and 
ran  on*  to  the  house.  A  minute  later  Zachariah  Steb* 


FRIENDS,  THO  UGH  DIVIDED.  225 

bings  with  the  four  guards  was  seen  running  up  to  the 
spot. 

"What  is  this?"  he  exclaimed  furiously.     "Mutiny?" 

r4No,  Master  Stebbings,"  Harry  said  calmly.  "\Ve 
have,  as  you  know,  worked  honestly  and  well,  but  your 
brutal  overseer  has  broken  the  agreement  we  made,  and 
struck  this  lad  to  the  ground  without  any  cause.  I,  of 
course,  carried  out  my  part  of  the  compact,  though  I 
doubt  me  the  fellow  is  not  killed.  His  hat  is  a  thick 
one,  and  may  have  saved  his  skull.  You  had  best  leave 
matters  alone.  I  and  my  three  men  are  a  match  for  you 
and  your  guards,  even  though  they  have  guns,  and  you 
best  know  if  our  services  are  worth  anything  to  you." 

The  planter  hesitated.  He  was  unwilling  indeed  to 
lose  four  of  his  best  slaves,  and  he  knew  that  whether 
he  attacked  them  now,  or  whether  he  reported  the  case 
to  the  commandant  of  the  island,  he  would  assuredly  do 
this.  After  a  moment's  hesitation,  he  said: 

"The  fool  has  brought  it  on  himself.  Do  you/'  turn- 
ing to  the  guards,  "lift  him  up  and  carry  him  to  the 
house,  and  let  old  Dinah  see  to  his  head.  It  is  an  ugly 
cut,"  he  said,  leaning  over  him,  "but  will  do  him  no 
harm,  though  it  will  not  add  to  his  beauty." 

The  blow  had  indeed  been  a  tremendous  one,  and  had 
it  alighted  fairly  on  the  top  of  his  head,  would  assuredly 
have  cleft  the  skull,  in  spite  of  the  protection  afforded 
by  the  hat.  It  had,  however,  fallen  somewhat  on  one 
side,  and  had  shorn  off  the  scalp,  ear,  and  part  of  the 
cheek.  It  was  three  weeks  before  the  overseer  again 
resumed  his  duty,  and  he  cast  such  a  deadly  look  at 
Harry  as  assured  him  that  he  would  have  his  life  when 
the  occasion  offered. 

Two  days  later,  when  the  planter  happened  to  be  in 
the  field  with  the  overseer,  two  gentlemen  rode  from  the 
house,  where  they  had  been  to  inquire  for  him.  The 


FRIKNDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

sobriety  of  their  garments  showed  that  they  belonged  to 
the  strictest  sect  of  the  Puritans. 

"I  have  ridden  hither,"  one  said,  with  a  strong  nasal 
twang,  "Zachariah  Stebbings,  having  letters  of  intro- 
duction to  you  from  the  governor.  These  will  tell  that 
I  am  minded  to  purchase  an  estate  in  the  island.  The 
governor  tells  me  that  maybe  you  would  be  disposed  to 
sell,  and  that  if  not,  I  might  see  the  methods  of  work 
and  culture  here,  and  learn  from  you  the  name  of  one 
disposed  to  part  with  his  property." 

At  the  first  words  of  the  speaker  Harry  Furness  had 
started,  and  dropped  his  hoe;  without,  however,  looking 
round,  he  picked  it  up  and  applied  himself  to  his  work. 

"I  should  not  be  unwilling  to  sell,"  the  planter  an- 
swered, "for  a  fair  price,  but  the  profits  are  good,  and 
are  likely  to  be  better,  for  I  hear  that  large  numbers  of 
malignants,  taken  by  the  sword  of  the  Lord  Cromwell  at 
Dundalk  and  Waterford  in  Ireland,  will  be  sent  here, 
and  with  more  labor  to  till  the  fields,  our  profits  will 
increase." 

"i  have  heard,"  the  newcomer  said,  "that  some  of 
the  ungodly  followers  of  the  man  Charles  have  already 
been  sent  here." 

"That  is  so,"  the  planter  agreed.  "I  myself,  stand- 
ing well  in  the  favor  of  the  governor,  have  received  four 
of  them;  that  boy,  the  two  men  next  to  him,  and  that 
big  man  working  there.  He  is  a  noted  malignant,  and 
was  known  as  Colonel  Furness." 

"Truly  he  is  a  stalwart  knave,"  the  other  remarked* 

"Ay  is  he,"  the  planter  said;  "but  his  evil  fortune  has 
not  as  yet  altogether  driven  out  the  evil  spirit  within 
him.  He  is  a  man  of  wrath,  and  the  other  day  he  smote 
nigh  to  death  my  overseer,  whose  head  is,  as  you  see, 
still  bandaged  up." 

"Truly  he  is  a  son  of  Belial,"  the  other  argued,  but 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  227 

in  a  tone  in  which  a  close  observer  might  have  perceived 
a  struggle  to  keep  down  laughter.  "I  warrant  me,  you 
punished  him  heartily  for  such  an  outbreak." 

"To  tell  you  the  truth,"  the  planter  said,  "the  man 
is  a  good  workman,  and  like  to  an  ox  in  his  strength. 
The  three  others  were  by  his  side,  and  also  withstood 
me.  Had  I  laid  a  complaint  before  the  governor  they 
would  all  have  been  shot,  or  put  on  the  roads  to  work, 
and  I  should  have  lost  their  labor.  My  overseer  was  in 
the  wrong,  and  struck  one  of  them  first,  so  'twas  better 
to  say  naught  about  the  matter.  And  now  will  you  with 
me  to  the  house,  where  I  can  open  the  letter  of  the  gov- 
ernor, and  talk  more  of  the  business  you  have  in  hand." 

The  instant  the  man  had  spoken  Harry  had  recognized 
the  voice  of  his  old  friend  Jacob,  and  doubted  not 
though  he  had  not  ventured  to  look  round,  that  he  who 
accompanied  him  was  William  Long;  and  he  guessed 
that  hearing  he  had  been  sent  with  the  other  captives 
spared  at  the  massacre  of  Drogheda  to  the  Bermudas, 
they  had  come  out  to  try  and  rescue  him.  So  excited 
was  he  at  the  thought  that  it  was  with  difficulty  he 
could  continue  steadily  at  his  work  through  the  rest  of 
the  day.  When  at  nightfall  he  was  shut  up  in  the  hut 
with  his  companions,  he  told  them  that  the  Puritan  they 
had  seen  was  a  friend  of  his  own,  a  captain  in  his  troop, 
and  that  he  doubted  not  that  deliverance  was  at  hand. 
He  charged  Mike  at  once  to  creep  forth  to  join  the 
negroes,  and  to  bid  them  tell  one  of  their  color  who 
served  in  the  house  to  take  an  opportunity  to  whisper 
to  one  of  his  master's  guests — for  he  learned  that  they 
were  biding  there  for  the  night,  "Be  in  the  grove  near 
the  house  when  all  are  asleep,"  The  negroes  willingly 
undertook  the  commission,  and  Mike  rejoined  the  party 
in  the  hut.  Two  hours  later  Harry  himself  crept  out 
through  the  hole,  which  they  had  silently  and  at  great 


228  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

pains  enlarged  for  the  purpose,  and  made  his  way  round 
to  the  grove.  There  were  still  lights  in  the  house,  and 
the  negroes  in  their  hut  were  talking  and  singing.  An 
hour  later  the  lights  were  extinguished,  and  soon  after- 
ward he  saw  a  figure  stealthily  approaching. 

"Jacob/' he  whispered,  as  the  man  entered  the  shelter 
of  the  trees,  and  in  another  moment  he  was  clasped  in 
the  arms  of  his  faithful  friend.  For  some  time  their 
hearts  were  too  full  to  speak,  and  then  Harry  leading 
his  companion  to  the  side  of  the  wood  furthest  from  the 
house,  they  sat  down  and  began  to  talk.  After  the  first 
questions  as  to  the  health  of  Harry's  father  had  been 
answered,  Jacob  went  on: 

"We  saw  by  the  dispatch  of  Cromwell  to  Parliament 
that  the  sole  survivors  of  the  sack  of  Drogheda,  being 
one  officer,  Colonel  Furness,  a  noted  malignant,  and 
thirty-five  soldiers,  had  been  sent  in  slavery  to  the  Ber- 
mudas. So,  of  course,  we  made  up  our  minds  to  come 
and  look  after  you.  Through  Master  Fleming  I  obtained 
letters,  introducing  to  the  governor  the  worshipful 
Grace-be-to-the-Lord  Hobson  and  Jeremiah  Perkins, 
who  desired  to  buy  an  estate  in  the  Bermudas.  So 
hither  we  came,  William  Long  and  I;  and  now,  Harry, 
what  do  you  advise  to  be  done?  I  find  that  the  ships 
which  leave  the  port  are  searched  before  they  leave,  and 
that  guards  are  placed  over  them  while  they  load,  to  see 
that  none  conceal  themselves  there,  and  I  see  not, 
therefore,  how  you  can  well  escape  in  that  way.  There 
seem  to  be  no  coasting  craft  here,  or  we  might  seize  one 
of  these  and  make  for  sea." 

"No,"  Harry  replied.  "They  allow  none  such  in  the 
port,  for  fear  that  they  might  be  so  taken.  There  are 
large  rowing  boats,  pulled  by  twelve  slaves,  that  come  to 
take  produce  from  the  plantations  farthest  from  the 
port  round  to  ships  there.  But  it  would  be  madness 


FlilMJWS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  229 

to  trust  ourselves  to  sea  in  one  of  these.  We  should 
either  die  of  hunger  and  thirst,  or  be  picked  up  again  by 
their  cruisers.  The  only  way  would  be  to  seize  a  ship." 

"That  is  what  William  Long  and  J  have  been  thinking 
of,"  Jacob  said.  "But  there  is  a  shrewd  watch  kept  up, 
and  the  ships  are  moored  under  the  guns  of  the  battery. 
We  passed,  on  our  way  hither,  a  bark  bringing  a  num- 
ber of  prisoners  taken  at  Waterford.  She  is  a  slow  sailer, 
and,  by  the  calculations  of  our  captain,  will  not  arrive 
here  for  some  days  yet." 

"If  we  could  intercept  her/'  Harry  said  thoughtfully, 
"we  might,  with  the  aid  of  the  prisoners,  overcome  the 
guard,  and  then  turning  her  head,  sail  for  Holland." 

"That  might  be  done,"  Jacob  assented,  "if  you  have 
force  enough." 

"I  can  bring  forty  men,"  Harry  answered.  "There 
are  eight  here,  and  we  have  communication  with  those 
in  the  neighboring  plantations,  who  are  ready  to  join  me 
in  any  enterprise.  That  should  be  enough." 

"It  is  worth  trying,"  Jacob  said.  "I  will  hire  a  row- 
boat,  as  if  to  bring  round  a  cargo  of  sugar  from  this 
plantation  to  the  port.  I  will  station  a  man  on  the 
highest  point  of  the  hills  to  give  me  notice  when  a  sail 
is  in  sight.  He  may  see  it  thence  forty  miles  away. 
The  winds  are  light  and  baffling,  and  she  will  make  slow 
progress,  and  may  bring  up  outside  the  port  that  night, 
but  assuredly  will  not  enter  until  next  morning.  The 
instant  I  know  it  is  in  sight  I  will  ride  over  here,  and 
William  Long  will  start  with  the  barge  from  the  port. 
When  you  see  me  come,  do  you  send  round  word  to  the 
others  to  meet  at  midnight  on  the  beach,  where  you  will 
see  the  boat  drawn  up.  Can  you  let  your  friends  know 
speedily?" 

"Yes,"  Harry  replied.  "My  signal  was  to  have  been 
given  at  daybreak,  but  I  will  send  round  word  of  the 


5530  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

change  of  hour,  and  that  if,  when  they  are  locked  up 
for  the  night,  they  see  a  fire  burning  on  the  point  agreed, 
they  are  to  meet  on  the  shore  at  midnight.  Tell  Will- 
iam  Long  to  haul  the  boat  up,  and  let  the  rowers  go  to 
sleep  on  the  shore.  We  will  seize  them  noiselessly. 
Then  we  will  row  along  the  shore  till  off  the  port,  and 
at  first  daybreak  out  to  the  ship  if  she  be  at  anchor,  or 
away  to  meet  her  if  she  be  not  yet  come.  They  will 
think  that  we  bear  a  message  from  the  port." 

After  some  further  discussion  of  details  the  friends 
separated,  and  the  next  day  Mike  sent  round  by  the 
negroes  the  news  of  the  change  of  plans.  Two  days 
later  Jacob  rode  up  to  the  plantation.  He  had  upon 
the  first  occasion  told  Stebbings  that  the  sum  he  asked 
for  the  estate  seemed  to  him  too  high,  but  that  he  would 
return  to  talk  it  over  with  him,  after  he  had  seen  other 
properties.  Immediately  upon  his  arrival,  which  hap- 
pened just  as  the  slaves  returned  from  work,  Mike  sent 
off  one  of  the  negro  boys,  who  had  already  collected  a 
pile  of  brushwood  on  the  beacon  hill.  Half  an  hour 
later  a  bright  flame  shone  out  on  its  summit. 

"I  wonder  what  that  means?"  the  planter,  who  was 
sitting  at  dinner  in. his  veranda  with  Jacob,  said  angrily. 

"It  looks  like  a  signal  fire,"  Jacob  remarked  calmly. 
"I  have  heard  that  they  are  sometimes  lit  on  the  sea- 
coast  of  England  as  a  signal  to  smugglers." 

"There  are  no  smugglers  here,"  the  planter  said,  "nor 
any  cause  for  such  a  signal." 

He  clapped  his  hands,  and  ordered  the  black  slave 
who  answered  to  tell  the  overseer  to  take  two  of  the 
guards,  and  at  once  proceed  to  the  fire,  and  examine  its 
cause.  After  dinner  was  over  the  planter  went  out  to 
the  slave  huts.  All  the  white  men  were  sitting  or  lying 
in  the  open  air,  enjoying  the  rest  after  their  labor.  The 
negroes  were  Dinging  or  working  in  their  garden  plots. 
The  list  was  called  ovar,  and  all  found  to  be  present. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"I  expect/7  the  planter  said,  "that  it  is  oniy  a  silly 
freak  of  some  of  these  black  fellows  to  cause  uneasiness. 
It  can  mean  nothing,  for  the  garrison  and  militia  could 
put  down  any  rising  without  difficulty  and  there  is  no 
hope  of  escupe.  In  a  week  we  could  search  every  possi- 
ble hiding-phice  in  the  island." 

"Yes,  that  is  an  advantage  which  you  have  over  the 
planters  in  Virginia,  to  which  place  I  hear  our  Scottish 
brethren  have  sent  large  numbers  of  the  malignants. 
There  are  great  woods  stretching  no  man  knoweth  how 
far  inland,  and  inhabited  by  fierce  tribes  of  Indians,  among 
whom  those  who  escape  find  refuge." 

That  night  when  all  was  still  Harry  Furness  and  his 
seven  comrades  crept  through  the  opening  in  tiie  hut. 
In  the  grove  they  were  joined  by  Jacob.  They  then 
made  their  way  to  the  seashore,  where  they  saw  lying 
a  large  shallop,  drawn  partly  up  on  the  beach.  A  man 
was  sitting  in  her,  while  many  other  dark  figures  lay 
stretched  on  the  sand  near.  Harry  and  his  party  moved 
in  that  direction,  and  found  that  the  men  from  two  of 
the  other  plantations  had  already  arrived.  A  few 
minutes  later  the  other  two  parties  arrived.  The  whole 
body  advanced  noiselessly  along  the  shore,  and  seized 
and  gagged  the  sleepers  without  the  least  difficulty  or 
noise.  These  were  bound  with-  ropes  from  the  boat,  and 
laid  down  one  by  one  on  the  sand,  at  a  distance  from 
each  other. 


23$  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 


CHAPTER     XIX. 

A    SEA   FIGHT. 

THE  instant  the  rowers  were  secured  Harry  Furness 
embraced  his  faithful  follower  William  Long.  He  had 
learned  from  Jacob  that  the  ship  had  appeared  in  sight 
about  two  in  the  afternoon,  and  that  it  was  not  thought 
likely  by  the  sailors  of  the  port  that  she  would  reach  it 
until  the  breeze  sprang  up  in  the  morning,  although 
she  might  get  within  a  distance  of  five  or  six  miles.  The 
whole  party  had,  in  concurrence  with  Harry's  orders, 
brought  with  them  their  hoes,  which  were  the  only 
weapons  that  were  attainable.  It  was  agreed  that  their 
best  course  would  be  to  row  along  the  shore  until  near 
the  lights  of  the  port,  then  to  row  out  and  lay  on  their 
oars  half  a  mile  beyond  the  entrance,  where,  as  it  was  a 
starlight  night,  they  would  assuredly  see  the  ship  if  she 
had  come  to  anchor.  As  soon  as  the  first  dawn  com- 
menced they  were  to  row  out  and  meet  the  ship.  Wrap- 
pings of  cloth  were  fastened  round  the  rowlocks  to  pre- 
vent noise,  twelve  men  took  the  oars,  the  boat  was 
shoved  down  into  the  sea,  and  they  started  on  their 
voyage.  The  boat  rowed  but  slowly,  and  it  was,  Harry 
judged,  past  three  o'clock  when  they  reached  the  point 
they  had  fixed  on  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  No  ship 
was  visible  outside  the  port,  although  there  was  sufficient 
light  to  have  seen  its  masts  had  it  been  there. 

"We  had  better  go  another  half-mile  further  out,"  he 
said.  * 'Should  they  take  it  into  their  heads  on  shore, 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  233. 

they  see  us,  to  send  a  fast  boat  out  to  inquire  what 
we  are  doing,  it  might  overtake  us  before  we  could  reach 
the  ship." 

An  hour  after  they  had  ceased  rowing  a  faint  streak 
of  daylight  appeared  in  the  west,  and  a  ship  could  be 
seen  about  three  miles  seaward,  while  the  shore  was 
nearly  that  distance  behind  them,  for  they  had  been 
deceived  by  the  darkness,  and  were  much  further  out 
than  they  had  thought. 

"It  is  all  the  better/'  Harry  said.  "It  must  be  some 
time  before  they  think  of  sending  a  boat  after  us,  and 
we  shall  reach  the  ship  before  it  can  overtake  us." 

As  soon  as  it  became  broad  daylight  Harry  took  one 
of  the  oars  himself,  and  all  save  the  twelve  rowers,  and 
Jacob  and  William  Long  who  sat  in  the  stern,  lay  down 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  where  some  pieces  of  matting, 
used  for  covering  cargo,  were  thrown  over  them.  There 
v;as  not  as  yet  a  breath  of  wind,  and  the  ship's  saila 
hung  idly  against  the  masts.  After  three-quarters  of  an 
hour's  hard  rowing  the  barge  approached  her  side. 
There  were  only  a  few  figures  on  the  deck. 

"Are  you  the  captain  of  this  vessel?"  Jacob  asked 
one  who  seemed  to  him  of  that  condition. 

"Ay,  ay,"  the  sailor  said.     "What  is  the  news?" 

"I  have  come  off  from  the  island,"  Jacob  answered, 
"by  orders  of  his  worshipful  the  governor,  to  warn  you 
that  there  is  an  insurrection  among  the  slaves  of  the 
island,  and  to  bid  you  not  to  anchor  outside,  or  to  wait 
for  your  papers  being  examined,  but  to  enter  at  once." 

By  this  time  the  boat  was  alongside,  and  Jacob  climbed 
on  board. 

"You  have  brought  some  troops  with  you?"  he  asked. 
"They  will  be  wanted." 

"Yes,  I  have  eighty  men  whom  I  have  brought  as  a 
reinforcement  to  the  garrison  of  the  island,  besides  a 


234  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

hundred  and  fifty  prisoners  from  Waterford,  stowed 
away  below  the  hatches  forward.  Hullo!  why,  what  is 
this?  Treason!" 

As  he  spoke  Harry,  followed  by  the  rowers,  swarmed 
en  board  armed  with  their  hoes.  The  captain  and  the 
men  round  him  were  at  once  knocked  down.  The  sen- 
tries over  the  fore  hatchway  discharged  their  muskets, 
and,  with  some  of  the  crew  stationed  there,  made  aft. 
But  Harry's  party  had  now  all  joined  him  on  deck.  A 
rush  was  made,  and  the  decks  entirely  cleared.  A  few 
of  the  soldiers  who  came  running  up  through  the  after 
hatchway  on  hearing  the  tumult  and  noise  of  the  light 
were  beaten  down  and  hurled  below  on  those  following 
them,  and  the  hatches  were  slipped  on  and  secured. 
Then  a  triumphant  shout  of  "God  and  the  King!"  was 
raised. 

The  forehatches  were  now  lifted,  and  the  prisoners 
invited  to  come  up.  They  rushed  on  deck,  delighted 
and  bewildered,  for  it  was  the  first  time  that  they  had 
seen  the  sun  since  they  left  England,  having  been  kept 
below,  where  many  had  died  from  confinement  and  bud 
air,  while  all  were  sorely  weakened  and  brought  low. 
Among  them  were  many  officers,  of  whom  several  wero 
known  to  Harry — although  they  had  some  difficulty  in 
recognizing  in  the  man,  bronzed  brown  by  his  exposure 
to  the  sun  and  clad  in  a  tattered  shirt  and  breeches — 
their  former  comrade,  Harry  Furness.  A  search  was  at 
once  made  for  arms,  and  ranged  in  the  passage  to  tlie 
captain's  cabin  were  found  twenty  muskets  for  the  use 
of  the  crew,  together  with  as  many  boarding  pikes  and 
sabers.  Ammunition  was  not  wanting.  The  arms  were 
divided  among  Harry's  band  of  forty  men,  and  the 
twenty  strongest  of  those  they  had  rescued.  The  hoes 
were  given  to  the  remainder. 

The  captain,  who  had  by  this  time  recovered  from 


THB  SEA  FIGHT.— Page  234. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  235 

the  blow  dealt  him  by  Harry,  was  now  qnestioned.  He 
was  told  that  if  he  would  consent  with  his  crew  to  navi- 
gate the  vessel  to  Holland,  he  should  there  be  allowed  to 
go  free  with  the  ship,  which  it  seemed  was  his  own 
property;  but  the  cargo  would  be  sold  as  a  fair  prize, 
to  satisfy  the  needs  of  his  captors.  If  he  refused,  he 
would  be  sent  with  his  crew  on  shore  in  the  barge,  and 
his  ship  and  cargo  would  alike  be  lost  to  him.  The  cap- 
tain had  no  hesitation  in  accepting  the  first  of  these 
alternatives,  as  he  would  be,  although  no  gainer  by  the 
voyage,  yet  no  loser  either.  He  told  Harry  that  for 
himself  he  had  no  sympathy  with  the  rulers  in  London, 
and  that  he  sorely  pitied  the  prisoners  he  was  bringing 
over. 

The  hatch  was  now  a  little  lifted,  and  the  prisoners 
below  summoned  to  surrender.  This  they  refused  to  do. 
Hurry  and  his  men  then,  with  much  labor,  lowered  a 
four-pounder  carronadedown  the  forehatch,  and  wheeled 
it  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  bulkhead  which  divided 
that  portion  where  the  prisoners  had  been  confined  from 
the  after  part.  The  gun  was  loaded  to  the  muzzle  with 
grape,  and  discharged,  tearing  a  hole  through  the  bulk- 
head and  killing  and  wounding  many  within.  Then  the 
officer  in  command  offered  to  surrender. 

Harry  ordered  them  at  once  to  hand  tip  all  their  fire- 
locks and  other  arms  through  the  hatchway,  which  was 
again  lifted  for  the  purpose.  When  those  on  deck  had 
armed  themselves  with  those  weapons,  the  prisoners  were 
ordered  to  come  up,  bringing  their  wounded  with  them. 
As  they  reached  the  deck  they  were  passed  down  into 
the  barge,  from  which  all  the  oars  save  four  had  been 
removed.  Six  of  the  soldiers  had  been  killed,  and  the 
remainder  having  entered  the  barge,  where  they  were 
stowed  as  thickly  as  they  could  pack,  the  head  rope  was 
dropped,  and  they  were  allowed  to  row  away.  Besides 


236  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  eighty  muskets  of  the  guard,  a  store  of  firelocks, 
sufficient  to  arm  all  on  board,  was  found;  Jhese  having 
been  intended  for  the  use  of  the  garrison.  A  gentle 
breeze  had  by  this  time  sprung  up  from  the  land,  and 
the  ship's  head  was  turned  seaward. 

The  boat  was  but  half  a  mile  behind  them  when  it  was 
joined  by  an  eight-oared  galley,  which  had  been  seen 
rowing  out  from  the  harbor,  whence,  doubtless,  it  had 
been  dispatched  to  inquire  into  the  errand  of  the  boat  seen 
rowing  off  to  the  ship.  After  lying  alongside  the  barge 
for  a  minute  or  two  she  turned  her  head,  and  made  back 
again  with  all  speed. 

"You  would  have  done  more  wisely,"  the  captain  said 
to  Harry,  "if  you  had  retained  the  prisoners  on  board 
until  the  second  boat  came  alongside.  You  could  have 
swamped  that,  and  sent  those  in  it  back  with  the  others, 
who  will  not  reach  shore  until  late  this  afternoon,  for 
with  only  four  oars  they  will  make  no  way  until  the  land 
breeze  falls." 

"It  would  have  been  better — far  better" — Harry 
agreed — "but  one  does  not  always  think  of  things  at  the 
right  time.  What  ships  are  there  in  port,  Jacob?" 

"There  is  the  vessel  I  came  by  and  two  others,"  Jacob 
replied,  "all  «bout  the  same  size  as  this,  and  mounting 
each  as  many  guns.  You  have  eight,  I  see,  captain;  the 
one  I  came  out  in  had  ten." 

"They  will  pursue  us,"  the  captain  said,  "you  may 
be  sure.  It  is  known  that  we  are  not  a  fast  sailer,  and  I 
think,  sir,  you  will  have  to  fight  for  it." 

"So  be  it,"  Harry  said.  "There  are  two  hundred  of 
us,  and  though  they  might  sink  the  ship,  they  will  as- 
euredly  never  carry  it  by  boarding.  There  is  not  a  man 
here  who  would  not  rather  die  fighting  than  spend  his 
life  in  slavery  on  that  island." 

The  vessel  had  gone  about  six  miles  on  her  course, 


FRIENDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  231 

when  from  the  topmast  the  captain  announced  that  the 
galley  had  gained  the  port,  now  twelve  miles  distant. 
"There  is  a  gnu,"  he  said,  five  minutes  later.  ''They 
have  take!)  the  alarm  now."  He  then  descended  to  the 
deck,  leaving  a  sailor  in  the  tops.  Two  hours  later 
the  latter  ami  on  need  that  the  topsails  of  three  ships 
Doming  out  from  the  harbor  were  visible. 

"We  have  nigh  thirty  miles'  start,"  the  captain  said. 
''They  will  not  be  up  to  us  till  to-morrow  at  midday." 

"Do  you  think  it  would  be  any  use  to  try  to  lose  them 
by  altering  our  course  in  the  night?"  Harry  asked. 

"No,"  the  captain  answered.  "It  is  but  ten  o'clock 
in  the  day  now.  They  will  be  within  ten  or  twelve  miles 
by  nightfall,  for  the  wind  is  stronger  near  the  land  than 
it  is  here,  and  with  their  night  glasses  they  could  hardly 
miss  us  on  a  bright  starlight  night.  I  am  ready  to  try  if 
you  like,  for  I  do  not  wish  to  see  the  ship  knocked  into 
matchwood." 

After  some  deliberation  it  was  determined  to  hold 
their  course,  and  as  night  came  on  it  was  found  that 
escape  would  have  been  out  of  the  question,  for  the 
vessels  behind  had  overhauled  the  Lass  of  Devon  faster 
than  had  been  anticipated,  and  were  little  more  than  five 
miles  astern.  They  could  be  plainly  seen  after  darkness, 
set  in,  with  the  night  glasses. 

"What  you  must  do,  captain,  is  to  lay  her  aboard  the 
first  which  comes  up,"  Harry  said;  "even  if  they  have 
brought  all  the  garrison  we  shall  be  far  stronger  than 
any  one  of  them  taken  singly." 

During  the  night  the  pursuing  vessels  lessened  sail 
and  maintained  a  position  about  a  mile  astern  of  the 
chase,  evidently  intending  to  attack  in  the  morning. 
The  day  spent  in  the  open  air,  with  plenty  of  the  best 
eating  and  drinking  which  could  be  found  in  the  ship, 
iiad  greatly  reinvigorated  the  released  prisoners,  and 


238  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

when  at  daybreak  the  vessels  behind  were  seen  to  be 
closing  up,  all  were  ready  for  the  light.  The  enemy, 
sure  that  their  prey  could  not  escape  them,  did  not  tire 
a  shot  as  they  came  up  in  her  wake.  The  two  imme- 
diately behind  were  but  a  cable's  length  asunder,  and 
evidently  meant  to  engage  on  either  side.  Harry  ordered 
the  greater  portion  of  men  below,  leaving  only  sufficient 
on  deck  to  fight  the  guns,  to  whose  use  many  were  well 
accustomed.  The  wind  was  very  light,  and  the  ships 
were  scarcely  stealing  through  the  water. 

"We  had  better  fight  them  broadside  to  broadside/' 
Harry  said;  "but  keep  on  edging  down  toward  the  ship 
to  leeward." 

The  fight  began  with  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  from  the 
tops,  where,  in  all  three  ships,  the  best  marksmen  had 
been  posted.  Then,  when  they  were  abreast  of  each 
other,  the  guns  opened  fire.  The  vessels  were  little 
more  than  fifty  yards  apart.  For  half  an  hour  the  en- 
gagement continued  without  intermission.  Both  ships 
of  the  enemy  had  brought  all  their  guns  over  to  the  sides 
opposed  to  the  Royalist  vessel,  and  fought  eighteen  gnus 
to  his  eight.  Fearing  to  injure  each  other,  both  aimed 
entirely  at  the  hull  o-f  their  opponent,  while  Harry's 
guns  were  pointed  at  the  masts  and  rigging.  The  sides 
of  the  Lass  of  Devon  were  splintered  and  broken  in  all 
directions,  while  those  of  his  assailants  showed  scarcely 
a  shot  mark.  The  fire  of  his  men  in  the  tops— all  old 
soldiers — had  been  so  heavy  and  deadly  that  they  had 
killed  most  of  the  marksmen  in  the  enemy's  tops,  and 
had  driven  the  rest  below.  All  this  time  the  Lass  of 
Devon  was  raked  by  the  fire  of  the  third  vessel  which 
had  come  up  behind  her,  and  raked  her  fore  and  aft. 
At  the  end  of  the  half-hour  the  mainmast  of  the  vessel 
to  windward,  which  had  been  several  times  struck,  fell 
with  a  crash. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  839 

"Now,  captain,  lay  her  aboard  the  ship  to  leeward. " 
They  had  already  edged  down  within  twenty  yards  of 
this  ship,  and  slowly  as  they  were  moving  through  the 
water,  in  another  three  or  four  minutes  the  vessels 
grated  together.  At  Harry's  first  order  the  whole  of 
his  men  had  swarmed  on  deck,  pouring  in  such  a  fire  of 
musketry  that  none  could  stand  alive  at  the  enemy's 
tiller  to  keep  her  head  away  as  the  Lass  of  Devon  ap- 
proached. As  the  vessels  touched  Harry  leaped  from 
the  bulwark  on  to  the  deck  of  the  enemy,  followed  "by 
Jacob  and  his  men.  The  Parliamentary  troops  had  also 
rushed  on  deck,  and,  although  inferior  in  numbers,  for 
they  counted  but  eighty  men,  they  made  a  sturdy  stand. 
Gradually,  however,  they  were  driven  back,  when  an  ex- 
clamation from  Mike,  who,  as  usual,  was  close  to  Harry ; 
caused  him  to  look  round. 

The  ship  behind  had,  the  moment  she  perceived  the 
Lass  of  Devon  bearing  down  upon  her  consort,  crowded 
on  more  sail,  and  was  how  ranging  up  on  the  other  Bide 
of  her.  Bidding  Jacob  press  the  enemy  hard  with  half 
his  force,  Harry,  with  the  remainder,  leaped  back  on  to 
the  deck  of  his  own  ship,  just  as  the  enemy  boarded 
from  the  other  side.  The  fight  was  now  a  desperate  one. 
The  vessel  which  had  last  arrived  bore  a  hundred  oi 
the  troops  of  the  garrison,  and  the  numbers  were  thus 
nearly  equal.  The  Royalists,  however,  fought  with  » 
greater  desperation,  for  they  knew  the  fate  that  awaited 
them  if  conquered.  Gradually  they  cleared  the  deck  of 
the  Lass  of  Devon  of  the  enemy,  and  in  turn  boardeo 
their  opponent.  William  Long  led  thirty  men  into  the 
tops  of  the  Lass  of  Devon,  and  poured  their  fire  into  the 
crowded  enemy.  Every  step  of  the  deck  was  fiercely 
contested,  but  at  last  the  Roundheads  gave  way.  Some 
threw  down  their  arms  and  called  for  quarter,  others 
ran  below.  The  Royalists,  with  shouts  of  "Remembei 


240  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDBD. 

Drogheda!"  fell  upon  them,  and  many  of  those  who  had 
surrendered  were  cut  down  before  Harry  could  arrest 
the  slaughter. 

A  loud  cheer  announced  the  victory,  and  the  men  in 
the  other  ship,  who  had  hitherto,  although  with  difficulty, 
made  front  against  the  attacks  of  Jacob  and  his  men, 
now  lost  heart  and  ran  beloWo  The  wind  had  by  this 
time  entirely  dropped,  but  battening  the  prisoners 
below,  Harry  set  his  men  to  thrust  the  ships  past  one  an- 
other, until  they  were  sufficiently  in  line  for  their  guns 
to  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  third  enemy.  Crippled 
as  she  was  by  the  loss  of  her  mast,  she  immediately 
hauled  down  her  colors,  and  the  victory  was  complete. 

The  prisoners  were  brought  on  deck  and  disarmed. 
Harry  found  that  the  boats  of  the  four  ships  would  carry 
two  hundred  men  closely  packed,  and  but  a  hundred 
and  eighty  of  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  troops  who  had 
sailed  in  pursuit  remained  alive.  These,  with  sufficient 
provisions  and  water  to  last  for  three  days,  were  made  to 
take  their  places  in  the  boats,  and  told  to  row  back  to 
the  island,  which  they  should  be  able  to  regain  in  two 
days  at  the  utmost.  The  crews  of  the  captured  ships 
were  willing  enough  to  obey  the  orders  of  their  captors, 
for  the  sailors  had  in  general  but  little  sympathy  with 
the  doings  of  Parliament.  Harry  had  lost  in  killed  and 
wounded  forty-two  men,  and  the  rest  he  divided  between 
the  four  ships,  giving  about  thirty -five  men  to  each 
He  himself,  with  Jacob,  William  Long,  and  Mike,  re- 
mained on  board  the  Lass  of  Devon,  officers  being  placed 
in  command  of  the  troops  on  board  the  other  ships, 
which  were  ordered  to  sail  in  company  with  her. 
Twenty-four  hours  were  spent  in  getting  a  jury-mast  set 
in  place  of  that  which  had  been  shot  away.  When  thia 
was  completed  the  four  ships  hoisted  their  canvas  and 
sailed  together  for  Holland.  .  , 


PRISNDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  241 

They  met  with  no  adventure  until  near  the  month  oi 
the  English  Channel,  when  one  morning  a  fleet  of  eight 
ships  was  perceived.  The  captain  of  the  Lass  of  Devon 
at  once  pronounced  them  to  be  ships  of  war,  and  their 
rate  of  sailing  speedily  convinced  Harry  that  there  waa 
no  chance  of  escape.  Against  such  odds  resistance  was 
useless,  and  the  other  ships  were  signaled  to  lower  their 
topsails  in  answer  to  the  gun  which  the  leading  ship  of 
the  squadron  fired.  Anticipating  a  return  to  captivity, 
if  not  instant  death,  all  on  board  watched  the  approach- 
ing men-of-war.  Presently  these,  when  close  at  hand, 
brought  up  into  the  wind,  and  a  boat  was  lowered.  It 
rowed  rapidly  to  the  Lass  of  Devon,  which  lay  somewhat 
the  nearest  to  them.  Harry  stood  on  the  quarter-deck 
ready  to  surrender  his  sword.  The  boat  came  along- 
side, an  officer  leaped  on  deck  and  advanced  toward  him. 

Harry  could  scarce  believe  his  eyes;  this  gallant,  in 
the  gay  dress  of  a  cavalier  officer,  could  be  no  follower  of 
Cromwell.  The  officer  paused  and  gazed  in  astonish- 
ment at  Harry.  The  recognition  was  mutual,  and  the 
words  "Furness"  and  "Elphinstone"  broke  from  their 
lips. 

"Why,  Elphinstone,  what  squadron  is  that?" 

"Prince  Rupert's,  to  be  sure,"  the  officer  said. 
"What!  did  you  take  us  for  the  Roundhead  fleet?" 

Harry  made  no  reply,  but  taking  off  his  hat,  shouted 
to  his  men,  "It  is  the  Royalist  fleet.  Three  cheers  for 
Prince  Rupert." 

A  cheer  of  joy  burst  from  the  men,  caught  up  and 
re-echoed  by  the  crews  of  the  other  ships.  Harry  led 
the  officer  into  his  cabin,  and  rapidly  explained  to  him 
the  circumstances  which  had  taken  place;  ten  minutes 
later,  entering  a  boat,  he  rowed  off  to  tbe  flagship. 

"Why!  Harry  Furness!"  exclaimed  Prince  Rupert, 
"whither  do  yon  spring  from?  I  heard  of  yon  last  as 


4&  fSIEND8t  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

semg  sent  to  slave  in  the  Bermudas,  and  methought, 
>ld  friend,  that  you  would  stand  the  heat  better  than 
«ioat,  since  you  had  served  such  a  sharp  apprenticeship 
•vrfch  me  in  that  oven  you  wot  of.  And  now  tell  me  how 
to  it  that  you  have  got  free,  and  that  I  find  yon  sailing 
tere  with  four  ships?" 

Harry  related  his  adventure.  When  he  had  finished 
Prince  Rupert  said: 

"[  envy  you,  Furness,  in  that  you  nave  three  faithful 
,'riends.  One  is  as  much  as  most  men  could  even  hope 
(or,  whereas  you  have  three,  who  each  seem  willing  to 
$0  through  fire  and  water  for  you.  They  do  remind  me 
i»f  fche  wonderful  servants  of  whom  my  old  nurse  used  to 
toll  me  as  a  child.  They  were  given  by  a  fairy  to  some 
fortunate  prince,  and  whenever  he  got  into  sore  straits 
were  ready  to  do  the  most  impossible  things  to  free  him 
from  them.  Now  you  must  take  up  your  quarters  here 
until  we  reach  Holland,  whither  I  am  on  the  point  of 
tailing.  We  have  picked  up  several  fat  prizes,  which  I 
iiave  sent  to  Italy  to  sell,  to  pay  the  wages  of  my  men, 
tor  his  gracious  majesty's  exchequer  is  of  the  emptiest. 
But  I  hear  that  Blake  is  about  to  put  to  sea  with  the 
«hips  of  the  Parliament,  and  I  care  not  to  risk  my  fleet, 
for  they  will  be  needed  to  escort  his  majesty  to  Scot- 
land ere  long." 

"Are  the  Scots  then  again  inclined  to  his  majesty's 
*ause?  Were  I  King  Charles,  I  would  not  trust  myself  to 
«hem,"  Harry  said.  "They  sold  his  father,  and  would 
tell  him — at  least  Argyll  and  the  knaves  with  him  would 
<io  so." 

"I  like  not  these  ccld,  calculating  men  of  the  north, 
«aysalf,"  Prince  Rupert  said,  "and  trust  them  as  little. 
Nor  would  my  cousin  venture  himself  again  among 
them,  if  he  took  my  advice.  His  majesty,  however,  is 
«o  more  given  to  the  taking  of  advice  than  was  his  father 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

before  him,  unless  it  be  of  Buckingham  and  WiliLot, 
and  other  dissolute  young  lords,  whose  counsel  and  com- 
pany are  alike  evil  for  him." 

The  same  afternoon  the  fleet  sailed  for  Holland,  the 
four  merchantmen  accompanying  it.  Upon  their  arrival 
there  Harry  sold  the  three  ships  which  he  had  taken, 
together  with  such  cargo  as  was  found  in  their  holds. 
He  sold  also  the  cargo  of  the  Lass  of  Devon,  leaving  the 
ship  itself,  as  he  had  promised,  to  the  captain,  its  owner, 
and  making  him  and  the  sailors  a  handsome  present  for 
the  way  they  stood  by  him  and  worked  the  ship  during 
the  action.  The  rest  of  the  proceeds  he  divided  between 
the  officers  and  men  who  had  sailed  with  him,  and  finding 
that  these  were  ready  still  to  share  his  fortunes,  he 
formed  them  into  a  regiment  for  the  service  of  the  king, 
enlisting  another  hundred  Royalists,  whom  he  found 
there  well-nigh  starving,  in  his  ranks. 

It  was  at  the  end  of  April,  1650,  that  Harry  reached 
Hamburg,  and  a  month  later  came  the  news  of  the  de- 
feat and  death  of  the  Earl  of  Montrose.  He  had  two 
months  before  sailed  from  Hamburg  to  the  Orkneys,  where 
he  had'  landed  with  a  thousand  men.  Crossing  to  the 
mainland  he  had  marched  down  into  Sunderland.  There 
he  had  met  a  body  of  cavalry  under  Colonel  Strachan, 
in  a  pass  in  the  parish  of  Kincardine,  now  called  Craig- 
chonichan,  or  the  Rock  of  Lamentation.  The  recruits 
he  had  raised  in  Orkney  and  the  north  fled  at  once* 
The  Scotch  and  Germans  he  had  brought  with  him 
fought  bravely,  but  without  effect,  and  were  utterly  de- 
feated, scattering  in  all  directions.  Montrose  wandered 
for  many  days  in  disguise,  but  was  at  last  captured,  and 
was  brought  to  Edinburgh  with  every  indignity.  He 
was  condemned  to  death  by  the  Covenanters,  and  exe- 
cuted. So  nobly  did  he  bear  himself  at  his  death  that 
the  very  indignities  with  which  Argyll  and  his  minions 


\ 
FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

loaded  him,  in  order  to  make  him  an  object  of  derision 
to  the  people',  failed  in  their  object,  and  even  those  who 
hated  him  most  were  yet  struck  with  pity  and  admira- 
tion at  his  noble  aspect  and  bearing.  Argyll  stood  at  a 
balcony  to  see  him  pass,  and  Montrose  foretold  a  similar 
fate  for  this  double-dyed  traitor,  a  prediction  which  was 
afterward  fulfilled.  Harry  deeply  regretted  the  loss  of 
this  gallant  and  chivalrous  gentlei 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  246 


CHAPTER  XX. 

WITH  THE  SCOTCH  ABMY. 

WHILE  trying  and  executing  Montrose  for  loyalty  to 
the  king,  the  Scots  were  themselves  negotiating  with 
Charles,  commissioners  having  come  over  to  Breda, 
•where  he  was  living,  for  the  purpose.  They  insisted 
upon  his  swearing  to  be  faithful  to  the  Covenant,  to  his 
submitting  himself  to  the  advice  of  the  Parliament  and 
Church,  and  to  his  promising  never  ^to  permit  the  exer- 
cise of  the  Catholic  religion  in  any  part  of  his  domin- 
ions. Charles  agreed  to  everything  demanded  of  him, 
having  all  the  time  no  intention  whatever  of  keeping  his 
promises.  While  he  was  swearing  to  observe  everything 
the  Scots  asked  of  him,  he  was  writing  to  Ormonde  to 
tell  him  that  he  was  to  mind  nothing  he  heard  as  to  his 
agreement  with  the  Scots,  for  that  he  would  do  all  the 
Irish  required.  Charles,  indeed,  although  but  a  young 
man  of  twenty,  was  as  full  of  duplicity  and  faithlessness 
as  his  father,  without  possessing  any  of  the  virtues  of 
that  unfortunate  king,  and  the  older  and  wiser  men 
among  his  followers  were  alienated  by  his  dissolute  con- 
duct, and  by  the  manner  in  which  he  gave  himself  up  to 
the  reckless  counsels  of  men  like  Buckingham  and 
Wilmot. 

Harry  heard  with  deep  regret  the  many  stories  current 
of  the  evil  life  and  ways  of  the  young  king.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  deadly  hatred  which  he  felt  to  Cromwell 
and  the  Puritans  for  the  murder  of  Sir  Arthur  Ashton, 


£46  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED 

and  the  rest  of  the  garrison  and  people  of  Drogheda,  in 
cold  blood,  he  would  have  retired  altogether  from  the 
strife,  and  would  have  entered  one  of  the  continental 
armies,  in  which  many  Royalist  refugees  had  already 
taken  service.  He  determined,  however,  that  he  would 
join  in  this  one  expedition,  and  that  if  it  failed  he  would 
take  no  further  part  in  civil  wars  in  England,  but  wait 
for  the  time,  however  distant,  when,  as  he  doubted  not, 
the  people  of  England  would  tire  of  the  hard  rule  of  the 
men  of  the  army  and  conventicle,  and  would,  with  open 
arms,  welcome  the  return  of  their  sovereign. 

Sarly  in  June  the  king  sailed  for  Scotland,  accom- 
panied by  the  regiment  which  Harry  had  raised,  and  a 
few  hundred  other  troops.  He  landed  there  on  the  16th. 
The  English  Parliament  at  once  appointed  Cromwell 
captain-general  and  commander-in-chief  of  all  the 
forces  raised  and  to  be  raised  within  the  commonwealth 
of  England.  A  few  days  later  he  left  London,  and  on 
the  23d  of  June  entered  Scotland  with  sixteen  thousand 
men.  King  Charles,  to  whom  Harry  had  been  presented 
Iby  Prince  Rupert  as  one  of  his  father's  most  gallant  and 
faithful  soldiers,  received  him  at  first  with  great  cordial- 
ity* As  soon  as  he  found,  however,  that  this  young 
cojonel  was  in  no  way  inclined  to  join  in  his  dissipations, 
that  his  face  was  stern  and  set  when  light  talk  or  sneers 
against  religion  were  uttered  by  the  king's  companions, 
Charles  grew  cold  to  him,  and  Harry  was  glad  to  be  re- 
leived  from  all  personal  attendance  upon  him,  and  to 
devote  himself  solely  to  his  military  duties.  Upon 
landing  in  Scotland,  Harry,  with  his  regiment,  was  en- 
camped in  the  valley  between  Edinburgh  Castle  and  the 
high  hill  called  Arthur's  Seat.  A  few  days  after  his 
arrival  he,  with  Jacob,  who  was  now  raised  to  the  rank 
of  major,  and  William  Long,  who  was  one  of  his  lieu- 
tenants, entered  the  palace  of  Holyrood,  where  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  247 

King's  court  was  held.  Here  were  gathered  a  motley 
assembly.  A  few  English  Cavaliers,  many  loyal  Scotch 
nobles  and  gentlemen,  and  a  large  number  of  somber 
men  of  the  Covenant.  Next  to  Charles  stood  a  tall  man, 
whom  Harry  instantly  recognized.  Argyll,  for  it  was 
he,  stared  fixedly  at  the  young  colonel,  who  returned 
his  look  with  one  as  cold  and  haughty. 

"This  is  Colonel  Furness,  my  lord  earl,"  the  young 
king  said.  "One  of  my  father's  bravest  and  most  devoted 
followers." 

"I  seem  to  have  met  the  gentleman  before,"  the  earl 
said. 

"You  have,"  Harry  replied  coldly.  "At  that  time 
the  Earl  of  Argyll  threatened  to  torture  me  into  betray- 
ing the  secrets  of  his  majesty,  and  would,  I  doubt  not, 
have  carried  his  threat  into  effect  had  I  not  escaped  from 
his  hands.  The  times  have  changed,  and  the  Earl  of 
Argyll  now  stands  beside  his  king,  but  I,  sir,  have  not 
forgotten  the  past  so  easily."  So  saying,  with  a  deep 
bow  to  the  king,  Harry  passed  on. 

"Harry,"  whispered  Donald  Leslie,  a  young  Scotch 
officer  who  had  joined  the  ranks  of  his  regiment  as  cap- 
tain at  Hamburg,  "hitherto  I  have  thought  you  the 
wisest  and  most  discreet  of  men.  I  cannot  say  as  much 
now.  It  would  have  been  safer  to  walk  into  a  den  of 
lions  than  to  insult  the  old  red  fox.  He  was  never 
known  to  forgive,  and  those  who  oflend  him  have  a  short 
life.  Beware,  colonel,  for  henceforth  you  carry  your 
life  in  your  hand." 

"My  sword  is  as  sharp  as  his,"  Harry  laughed,  as  they 
issued  into  the  open  air. 

"I  doubt  it  not,"  Leslie  said,  "but  it  is  with  daggers 
rather  than  swords  that  Argyll  fights,  and  with  secret 
plottings  more  than  either.  Edinburgh  swarms  with 
Campbells,  any  one  of  whom  would  think  no  more  of 


248  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

running  you  through  at  his  lord's  command  than  he 
would  of  killing  a  rat.  Mark  my  words,  hefore  a  week 
is  out  you  will  be  engaged  in  some  broil  or  other. " 

Jacob  and  William  Long  heard  with  great  disquietude 
the  remarks  of  the  young  Scotch  officer,  which  they 
knew  sufficient  of  Argyll  to  be  aware  were  perfectly  true. 
They  resolved  that  they  would  maintain  a  careful  watch 
over  their  friend,  and  that  night  they  charged  Mike. 
who  was  now  a  tall,  active  young  fellow  of  seventeen,  to 
keep  the  strictest  watch  as  he  followed  his  master  in  the 
streets,  and  to  have  pistol  and  sword  always  in  readiness. 

Two  days  later  Harry  had  the  first  evidence  of  the 
truth  of  Leslie's  prediction.  He  was  walking  up  the 
High  Street,  accompanied  by  Jacob,  while  Leslie  and 
two  or  three  of  his  officers  followed  a  short  distance  be- 
hind, when  three  or  four  Scotch  nobles  were  seen 
approaching.  One  of  these,  Colonel  Campbell,  of  Arran, 
a  tail  and  powerful  figure,  in  passing  jostled  roughly 
against  Harry. 

"S'death,  sir!"  he  exclaimed.  "Do  you  think  that 
you  are  in  England,  that  you  can  take  up  the  whole  of 
the  road?" 

"I'm  as  much  entitled  to  the  road  as  yourself,"  Harry 
said  hotly;  "you  purposely  jostled  me." 

"Well,  sir,  and  what  if  I  did?"  Colonel  Campbell  re- 
plied. "If  you  don't  like  it  you  have  your  remedy," 
and  he  touched  his  sword  significantly. 

"I  will  meet  you,  sir,"  Harry  said,  "in  an  hour's  time 
at  the  foot  of  the  Castlehill." 

The  colonel  nodded,  and  accompanied  by  his  kinsmen 
strode  on. 

"Jacob,  you  and  Leslie  will  act  with  me?"  Harry 
asked. 

"Willingly  enough,"  Leslie  replied.  "But  it  is  a 
bad  business.  Campbell  has  the  name  of  being  one  of 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  249 

the  best  swordsmen  in  the  Scottish  army.  Of  course  he 
has  been  set  on  to  attack  you.9' 

"1  have  been  fighting/'  Harry  said,  "for  the  last  ten 
years,  and  was  not  a  bad  swordsman  when  I  began. 
Unless  I  mistake,  I  am  as  powerful  a  man  as  Colonel 
Campbell,  and  I  fear  not  him  or  any  man." 

At  the  time  appointed  Harry,  accompanied  by  his 
seconds,  was  upon  the  ground,  where  five  minutes  later 
they  were  joined  by  Colonel  Campbell,  with  two  of  his 
kinsmen.  While  the  principals  divested  themselves  of 
their  cloaks  and  doublets,  the  seconds  compared  their 
swords.  They  were  of  entirely  different  fashion,  Harry's 
being  long  and  straight  with  sharp  edges,  while  Colonel 
Campbell's  was  a  basket-hilted  sfvord,  also  straight  and 
double  edged,  and  even  larger  and  much  heavier  than 
Harry's;  each  had  brought  one  of  similar  make  and  size 
to  his  own.  Some  conversation  took  place  as  to  the 
weapons  which  should  be  used. 

"I  cannot  fight  with  a  plaything  like  that,"  Colonel 
Campbell  said  roughly. 

"And  I  object  equally,"  Harry  puts  in  calmly,  "to 
wield  a  heavier  weapon  than  that  to  which  I  am  accus- 
tomed. But  I  am  quite  content  to  fight  with  my  own 
against  that  of  Colonel  Campbell." 

The  seconds  at  first  on  both  sides  objected  to  this, 
arguing  that  the  weight  and  length  of  Campbell's  weapon 
would  give  him  an  unfair  advantage.  Harry,  however, 
was  firm. 

"A  man  fights  better,"  he  said,  "with  the  sword  to 
which  he  is  used.  Mine  is  of  tried  temper,  and  I  have 
no  fear  of  its  breaking."  Harry  had  good  reason  for 
faith  in  his  weapon.  It  was  a  long,  straight  blade  of 
Toledo  steel,  which  he  had  purchased  for  a  considerable 
sum  from  a  Spanish  Jew  in  Hamburg.  Colonel  Camp- 
bell put  an  and  to  the  argument  by  roughly  saying  that 


$50  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

he  wanted  no  more  talk,  and  that  if  Colonel  Furness 
meant  fighting  he  had  better  take  up  his  ground.  This 
had  already  been  marked  out, ,  and  Harry  immediately 
stood  on  the  defensive. 

In  a  moment  the  swords  met.  Colonel  Campbell  at 
onoe  attacked  furiously,  trying  to  beat  down  Harry's 
guard  by  sheer  strength  and  the  weight  of  his  weapon. 
The  Englishman,  however,  was  to  the  full  as  powerful  a 
man,  and  his  muscles  from  long  usage  were  like  cords 
of  steel.  His  blade  met  the  sweeping  blows  of  the 
Scotchman  firmly  and  steadily,  while  his  point  over  and 
over  again  menaced  the  breast  of  his  adversary,  who  sev- 
eral times  only  saved  himself  by  springing  back  beyond 
it.  Harry's  seconds  saw  from  the  first  that  the  issue  was 
not  doubtful.  In  a  contest  between  the  edge  and  the 
point,  the  latter  always  wins  if  strength  and  skill  be 
equal,  and  in  this  case,  while  in  point  of  strength  the 
combatants  were  fairly  matched,  Harry  was  more  skilled 
in  the  use  of  his  weapon,  whose  lightness,  combined  with 
its  strength,  added  to  his  advantage.  The  fight  lasted 
but  five  minutes.  Twice  Harry's  sword  drew  blood,  and 
at  the  third  thrust  he  ran  his  adversary  through  under 
the  shoulder.  The  latter  dropped  his  sword,  with  a 
curse. 

"I  have  spared  your  life,  Colonel  Campbell,"  Harry 
said.  "It  was  at  my  mercy  a  dozen  times,  but  I  wished 
not  to  kill  you.  You  forced  this  quarrel  upon  me  at  the 
bidding  of  another,  and  against  you  I  had  no  animosity. 
Farewell,  sir.  I  trust  that  ere  the  day  of  battle  you  will 
be  able  to  use  your  sword  again  in  the  service  of  the 
king." 

So  saying,  Harry  resumed  his  doublet  and  cloak,  and, 
accompanied  by  his  seconds,  returned  to  his  camp, 
'eaving  Campbell,  furious  with  pain  and  disappoint- 
went,  to  be  conveyed  home  by  his  friends,, 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  25> 

"So  far,  so  good,  Harry,"  Captain  Leslie  said.  "Th* 
next  attempt  will,  you  will  find,  be  a  more  serious  one 
Argyll  will  not  try  fair  means  again.  But  beware  hov 
you  go  out  at  night." 

The  duel  made  a  good  deal  of  talk,  and  Argyll  at- 
tempted to  induce  the  king  to  take  the  matter  up,  an$ 
to  punish  Harry  for  his  share  in  ita  But  the  young  kingk 
although  obliged  to  listen  every  day  to  the  long  sermom 
and  admonitions  of  the  Covenanters,  was  heartily  sick  o) 
them  already  and  answered  Argyll  lightly  that,  so  far  a» 
he  had  heard  of  the  circumstances,  Colonel  CampbeD 
was  wholly  to  blame.  "And,  indeed,"  added  the  king, 
"from  what  I  have  heard,  the  conduct  of  your  kinsmaa 
was  so  wantonly  insulting  that  men  say  he  must  havt 
been  provoked  thereto  by  others,  as  the  two  officer! 
appear  to  have  been  strangers  until  the  moment  whe» 
their  quarrel  arose." 

The  earl  grew  paler  than  usual,  and  pressed  his  thi* 
lips  tightly  together. 

"I  know  of  no  reason,"  he  said,  "why  Colonel  Camp 
bell  should  have  engaged  wantonly  in  a  quarrel  with  thi> 
English  officer." 

"No!"  Charles  said  innocently.  "And  if  you  do  not, 
my  lord,  I  know  of  no  one  that  does.  Colonel  Furnesi 
is  an  officer  who  is  somewhat  staid  and  severe  for  hi» 
years,  and  who,  in  sooth,  stands  somewhat  aloof  from 
me,  and  cares  not  for  the  merry  jests  of  Buckingham^ 
but  he  is  a  gallant  soldier.  He  has  risked  his  life  ovei 
and  over  again  in  the  cause  of  my  sainted  father,  and 
tried  his  utmost  to  save  him,  both  at  Carisbrook  and 
Whitehall.  Any  one  who  plots  against  him  is  no  frien<J 
of  mine."  The  young  king  spoke  with  a  dignity  and 
sternness  which  were  not  common  to  him,  and  Argyll^ 
biting  his  lips,  felt  a  deadlier  enmity  than  ever  toward 
the  man  who  had  brought  this  reproof  upon  hr 
shoulders. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDBD. 

The  following  day  Harry  received  orders  from  General 
Leslie,  who  commanded  the  royal  forces,  to  march  down 
toward  the  border,  accompanied  by  two  regiments  of 
horse.  He  was  to  devastate  the  country  and  to  fall  back 
gradually  before  Cromwell's  advance,  the  cavalry  harass- 
ing him  closely,  but  avoiding  any  serious  conflict  with 
the  Eoundhead  horse.  The  whole  party  were  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  Macleod. 

"I  am  heartily  glad  to  be  on  the  move,  Jacob/'  Harry 
said,  on  the  evening  before  starting.  "It  is  not  pleasant 
to  know  that  one  is  in  constant  danger  of  being  attacked 
whenever  one  goes  abroad.  Once  away  from  Edinburgh 
one  may  hope  to  be  beyond  the  power  of  Argyll/' 

"I  would  not  be  too  sure  of  that,"  Donald  Leslie 
said.  "A  hound  on  the  track  of  a  deer  is  not  more  sure 
or  untiring  than  is  Argyll  when  he  hunts  down  a  foe. 
Be  warned  by  me,  and  never  relax  a  precaution  so  long 
as  you  are  on  Scottish  ground.  There  are  men  who 
whisper  that  even  now,  when  he  stands  by  the  side  of 
the  king,  Argyll  is  in  communication  with  Cromwell. 
Trust  me,  if  he  can  do  you  an  ill  turn,  he  will." 

Upon  the  following  morning  the  detachment  marched, 
with  flags  flying  and  drums  beating,  and  the  king  him- 
self rode  down  to  see  them  depart.  Argyll  was  with 
him,  and  the  king,  as  if  in  bravado  of  the  formidable  earl, 
waved  his  hand  to  Harry,  and  said:  "Good-by,  my 
grave  colonel.  Take  care  of  yourself,  and  do  not  spare 
my  enemies  as  you  spared  my  friend." 

Harry  doffed  his  plumed  hat,  and  rode  on  at  the  head 
of  his  regiment.  The  force  marched  rapidly,  for  it  was 
known  that  Cromwell  was  within  a  few  days  of  Berwick. 
So  fast  did  they  travel  that  in  three  days  they  were  near 
the  border.  Then  they  began  the  work  which  they  had 
been  ordered  to  carry  out.  Every  head  of  cattle  was 
driven  up  the  country,  and  the  inhabitants  were  ordered 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  353 

to  load  as  much  of  their  stores  of  grain  in  wagons  as 
these  would  hold,  *nd  to  destroy  the  rest.  The  force 
under  Colonel  Macleod  saw  that  these  orders  were  car- 
ried out,  and  when,  on  the  14th  of  July,  Cromwell 
crossed  the  Tweed,  he  found  the  whole  country  bare  of 
all  provision  for  his  troops.  In  vain  his  cavalry  made 
forays  to  a  distance  from  the  coast.  Harry's  foot 
opposed  them  at  every  defensible  point,  while  the  cavalry 
hung  upon  their  skirts.  In  vain  the  Roundheads  tried 
to  charge  by  them.  The  Scotch  cavalry,  in  obedience 
to  orders,  avoided  a  contest,  and  day  after  day  Crom- 
well's troopers  had  to  return  empty  handed,  losing  many 
of  their  men  by  the  fire  of  Harry's  infantry.  Thus  the 
army  of  Cromwell  was  obliged  to  advance  slowly  upon 
the  line  of  coast,  drawing  their  supplies  wholly  from  the 
fleet  which  accompanied  it. 

One  evening  Colonel  Macleod  rode  up  to  the  cottage 
where  Harry  was  quartered  for  the  night. 

"I  am  going  to  beat  up  Oliver's  camp  to-night/'  he 
said.  "Do  you  cover  the  retreat  with  your  men  at  the 
ford  of  the  river.  If  I  can  get  for  five  minutes  in  his 
camp  I  will  read  the  Roundheads  a  lesson,  and  maybe 
spike  some  of  his  cannon.  If  I  could  catch  Cromwell 
himself  it  would  be  as  good  as  a  great  victory." 

After  nightfall  the  force  approached  the  enemy's 
camp;  at  the  ford  the  infantry  halted,  the  cavalry  cross- 
ing and  continuing  their  way  to  the  camp,  about  a  mile 
distant.  An  hour  passed  without  any  sound  being 
heard.  At  length  a  sound  of  distant  shouts,  mingled 
with  the  reports  of  firearms,  fell  upon  the  ear. 

"Macleod  is  among  them  now,"  Donald  Leslie  ex- 
claimed. "I  would  I  were  with  him." 

"You  will  have  your  turn  presently,"  Harry  replied. 
"A  thousand  horse  may  do  a  good  deal  of  damage  in  a 
sudden  attack,  but  they  must  fall  back  as  soon  as  the 
Roundheads  rally." 


254  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

For  five  or  six  minutes  the  distant  tumult  continued. 
Then  it  ceased  almost  as  suddenly  as  it  had  begun.  A 
minute  or  two  later  there  was  a  deep,  muffled  sound. 

"Here  come  the  horse,"  Jacob  said. 

The  infantry  had  already  been  placed  along  the  t»ank 
of1  the  river  on  each  side  of  the  ford,  leaving  the  way 
clear  in  the  center  for  the  passage  of  the  cavalry.  It 
was  not  long  before  they  arrived  on  the  opposite  bank, 
and  dashed  at  full  speed  across  the  river.  Colonel 
Macleod  rode  at  their  rear. 

"The  Ironsides  are  just  behind,"  he  said  to  Marry. 
"Let  your  men  shoot  sharp  and  straight  as  they  try  to* 
cross.  We  will  charge  them  as  they  reach  the  bank." 

A  minute  later,  and  the  close  files  of  the  Roundhead 
cavalry  could  be  seen  approaching,  the  moonlight  glint- 
ing on  steel  cap,  breastpiece,  and  sword. 

"Steady,  lads!"  Harry  shouted.  "Do  not  fire  a  shot, 
till  they  enter  the  river.  Then  keep  up  a  steady  fire  on 
the  head  of  the  column." 

The  Roundheads  halted  when  they  reached  the  river, 
and  formed  rapidly  into  a  column,  twelve  abreast,  for 
the  ford  was  no  wider.  As  they  entered  the  stream  a 
heavy  musketry  fire  opened  suddenly  upon  them.  Men 
and  horses  went  down,  floating  away  in  the  river.  In 
spite  of  their  losses  the  cavalry  pressed  on,  and  though 
numbers  fell,  gained  the  opposite  bank.  Then  arose  the- 
Royalist  cry  "King  and  Covenant!"  and  the  Scottish 
horse  swept  down.  The  head  of  the  column  was  shat- 
tered by  the  charge,  but  the  Ironsides  still  pressed  on, 
and  breaking  the  center  of  the  Scottish  horse,  poured 
across  the  river. 

Harry  had  already  given  his  orders  to  Jacob,  who  com- 
manded the  left  wing  of  the  infantry,  and  the  regiment, 
drawing  up  on  both  flanks  of  the  column  of  Ironsides, 
poured  so  heavy  a  fire  upon  them,  while  the  cavalry  of: 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  255 

Macleod  again  charged  them  in  front,  that  the  column 
was  broken,  and  still  fighting  sturdily,  fell  back  again 
across  the  river.  The  moment  they  did  so  a  heavy  fire 
of  musketry  opened  from  the  further  bank. 

"Their  infantry  are  up,  Colonel  Furness,"  Macleod 
said.  "Draw  off  your  men  in  good  order.  I  will  cover 
the  retreat.  We  have  done  enough  for  to-night." 

Getting  his  regiment  together,  Harry  ordered  them  to 
retire  at  the  double,  keeping  their  formation  as  they 
went.  The  Roundhead  cavalry  again  crossed  the  river? 
and  several  times  charged  the  Scotch  horse.  Twice 
they  succeeded  in  breaking  through,  but  Harry,  facing 
his  men  round,  received  them  pike  in  hand,  the  musket- 
eers in  rear  keeping  up  so  hot  a  fire  over  the  shoulders 
of  the  pikemen  that  the  Ironsides  drew  rein  before 
reaching  them,  and  presently  fell  back,  leaving  the  party 
to  retire  without  further  pursuit. 

"I  as  nearly  as  possible  caught  Cromwell,"  Colonel 
Macleod  said,  riding  up  to  Harry.  "We  got  confused 
among  the  tents  and  ropes,  or  should  have  had  him. 
We  entered  his  tent,  but  the  bird  had  flown.  We  cufc 
down  some  scores  of  his  infantry,  and  spiked  four  guns. 
I  have  not  lost  twenty  men,  and  his  cavalry  must  havA 
lost  at  least  a  hundred  from  your  fire,  besides  the  damage 
I  did  at  their  camp." 

Obtaining  a  stock  of  supplies  sufficient  for  some  days 
from  the  ships  at  Dunbar,  Cromwell  advanced  to  Mussel- 
burgh,  within  striking  distance  of  Edinburgh.  Leslie 
had  strongly  posted  his  army  in  intrenched  lines  extend- 
ing from  Edinburgh  to  Leith,  a  distance  of  two  miles. 
Colonel  Macleod  with  his  detachment  rejoined  the  army 
on  the  same  day  that  Cromwell  reached  Musselburgh. 
Upon  the  day  after  the  arrival  of  the  English  there  was 
a  sharp  cavalry  fight,  and  Cromwell  would  fain  have 
tempted  the  Scotch  army  to  engage  beyond  their  lines. 


256  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

But  Leslie  was  not  to  be  drawn.  He  knew  that  if  he 
could  maintain  himself  in  his  intrenchments  the  Eng- 
lish must  fall  back,  as  they  had  the  sea  behind  them  and 
on  their  right,  Edinburgh  in  front  of  them,  and  a  dev- 
astated country  on  their  left.  At  the  urgent  request  of 
Cromwell  the  Parliament  strained  every  nerve  to  send 
up  provisions  by  ships,  and  so  enabled  him  to  remain 
before  Edinburgh  for  a  month. 

A  few  days  after  his  arrival  Harry  received  orders  to 
take  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  of  his  regiment,  and  to 
post  himself  at  Kirkglen,  which  blocked  a  road  by  which 
it  was  thought  Cromwell  might  send  foraging  parties 
westward.  Harry  asked  that  a  detachment  of  cavalry 
might  accompany  him,  but  the  request  was  refused. 
Kirkglen  stood  fifteen  miles  south  of  Edinburgh,  and 
somewhat  to  its  west.  Harry  left  Jacob  to  command 
the  main  body  of  the  regiment,  and  took  with  him  the 
companies  of  Donald  Leslie  and  Hugh  Grahame,  in  the 
latter  of  which  William  Long  was  lieutenant.  They 
sallied  out  from  the  western  side  of  the  camp  at  day- 
break. 

"I  like  not  this  expedition,  Colonel  Furness,"  Donald 
Leslie  said.  "The  refusal  to  send  cavalry  with  us  is 
strange.  Methinks  I  see  the  finger  of  that  crafty  fox 
Argyll  in  the  pie.  His  faithfulness  to  the  cause  is  more 
and  more  doubted,  though  none  dare  wag  a  tongue 
against  him,  and  if  it  be  true  that  he  is  in  communica* 
tion  with  Cromwell,  we  shall  have  the  Roundheads, 
horse  and  foot,  down  upon  us." 

"There  is  a  castle  there,  is  there  not,"  Harry  asked, 
"which  we  might  occupy?" 

"Assuredly  there  is,"  Leslie  replied.  "It  is  the 
hold  of  Alan  Campbell,  a  cousin  of  the  man  you  pinked. 
It  is  that  which  adds  to  my  suspicion.  You  will  see, 
unless  I  am  greatly  mistaken,  that  he  will  not  admit  us." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  25? 

Such,  indeed,  proved  to  be  the  case.  Upon  their 
arrival  at  Kirkglen,  Leslie  went  in  Harry's  name  to  de- 
mand admittance  to  the  castle  for  the  royal  troops,  but 
Campbell  replied  that  he  had  received  no  orders  to  that 
effect,  and  that  it  would  greatly  incommode  him  to 
quarter  so  large  a  number  of  men  there.  He  said,  how 
ever,  that  he  would  willingly  entertain  Colonel  Furnew 
and  his  officers.  Leslie  brought  back  the  message, 
strongly  urging  Harry  on  no  account  to  enter  the  castle 
and  put  himself  in  the  hands  of  the  Campbells.  Harry 
said  that  even  had  he  no  cause  to  doubt  the  welcome  he 
might  receive  at  the  castle,  he  should  in  no  case  separate 
himself  from  his  men,  when  he  might  be  at  any  moment 
attacked. 

1  'It  is  a  rough  piece  of  country  between  this  and 
Cromwell's  post,"  Leslie  said,  "and  he  would  have  diffi- 
culty in  finding  his  way  hither.  There  is  more  than  one 
broad  morass  to  be  crossed,  and  without  a  guide  he 
would  scarce  attempt  it.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  he  is 
so  unlikely  to  send  out  foraging  parties  in  this  direction. 
It  was  this  reflection  which  caused  me  to  wonder  why  we 
should  be  ordered  hither." 

"Mike,'5  Harry  said,  "you  have  heard  what  Captain 
Leslie  says.  Do  you  keep  watch  to-night  near  the  castle 
gate,  and  let  me  know  whether  any  leave  it;  and  in 
which  direction  they  go.  I  will  place  a  man  behind  to 
watch  the  postern.  If  treachery  is  meditated,  Campbell 
will  send  news  of  our  coming  to  Cromwell." 


258  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

THE  PATH  ACROSS  THE  MORASS. 

MIKE,  when  night  fell,  moved  away  toward  the  castle, 
which  lay  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  village. 
Approaching  to  within  fifty  yards  of  the  gate,  he  sat 
down  to  watch.  About  eleven  o'clock  he  heard  the 
creak  of  the  gate,  and  presently  was  startled  by  seeing 
two  horsemen  ride  past  him.  "They  must  have  muffled 
their  horses'  feet,"  he  said  to  himself.  "They  are  up  to 
no  good.  I  wish  there  had  only  been  one  of  them." 
Mike  slipped  off  his  shoes  and  started  in  pursuit,  keep- 
ing just  far  enough  behind  the  horsemen  to  enable  him 
to  observe  the  outline  of  their  figures.  For  half  a  mile 
they  proceeded  quietly.  Then  they  stopped,  dismounted, 
removed  the  cloths  from  their  horses'  feet,  and  re- 
mounting rode  forward  at  a  gallop.  Mike's  old  exer- 
cise as  a  runner  now  rendered  him  good  service.  He 
could  already  tell,  by  the  direction  which  the  horsemen 
were  taking,  that  they  were  bearing  to  the  east  of  Edin- 
burgh, but  he  resolved  to  follow  as  far  as  possible  in 
order  to  see  exactly  whither  they  went.  The  road,  or 
rather  track,  lay  across  a  moorland  country.  The 
ground  was  often  deep  and  quaggy,  and  the  horsemen 
several  times  checked  their  speed,  and  went  at  a  slow 
walk,  one  advancing  on  foot  along  the  track  to  guide 
the  way.  These  halts  allowed  breathing  time  for  Mike, 
who  found  it  hard  work  to  keep  near  them  when  going 
at  full  speed.  At  last,  after  riding  for  an  hour,  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  359 

horsemen  halted  at  a  solitary  house  on  tne  moorland. 
Here  several  horses,  held  by  troopers,  were  standing. 
Mike  crept  round  to  the  back  of  the  house,  and  looked 
in  at  the  window,  He  saw  two  English  officers  sitting 
by  a  fire,  while  a  light  burned  on  a  table.  Mike  at  once 
recognized  in  one  of  them  the  dreaded  General  Crom- 
well, whom  he  had  seen  at  Drogheda. 

"What  a  fool  I  was,"  he  muttered  to  himself,  "to  have 
come  without  my  pistol.  I  would  have  shot  him  as  he 
sits,  and  so  wiped  out  Drogheda." 

At  the  moment  the  door  opened,  and  a  trooper  in 
Scotch  uniform  entered.  "I  have  brought  this  letter," 
he  said,  "from  Alan  Campbell." 

The  general  took  the  letter  and  opened  it.  "Camp- 
bell promises,"  he  said  to  the  other  officer,  "to  open 
fire  upon  the  detachment  in  the  village  with  the  guns  of 
the  castle  as  soon  as  we  attack.  One  of  the  men  who 
has  brought  this  will  remain  here  and  guide  our  troops 
across  the  morass.  He  suggests  that  two  hundred  foot 
and  as  many  horse  should  be  here  at  eight  to-morrow 
evening.  All  he  stipulates  for  is  that  Colonel  Furness, 
the  Royalist  who  commands  the  enemy's  detachment, 
shall  be  given  over  to  him,  he  having,  it  seems,  some 
enmity  with  Argyll.  Furness?  ah,  that  is  the  officer 
whom  I  sent  to  the  Bermudas  from  Drogheda.  We  had 
advices  of  his  having  got  away  and  captured  a  ship  with 
other  prisoners  on  board.  A  bold  fellow,  and  a  good 
officer,  but  all  the  more  dangerous.  Let  Campbell  do 
with  him  as  he  likes." 

The  other  officer  drew  out  an  inkhorn  and  wrote,  at 
Cromwell's  dictation,  his  adherence  to  the  terms  offered  by 
Alan  Campbell.  Cromwell  signed  the  paper,  and  handed 
it  to  the  messenger.  Then  the  English  general  and  his 
escort  mounted  and  rode  off.  Campbell's  retainers  sat  for 
half  an  hour  drinking  together.  Then  they  came  to  the 


260  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

door.  One  mounted,  and  saying  to  the  other,  "I  would 
rather  have  twenty-four  hours'  sleep  such  as  you  have 
before  yon,  than  have  to  ride  back  to  Kirkglen  to  night; 
the  mist  is  setting  in  thickly,"  rode  off  into  the  darkness. 

Mike  kept  close  to  him,  until  at  last  the  man  dis- 
mounted to  follow  the  track  where  the  morass  was  most 
dangerous.  In  an  instant  Mike  sprang  upon  him  and 
buried  his  dagger  in  his  body.  Without  a  cry  the 
trooper  fell.  Mike  felt  in  his  doublet  for  Oomweirs 
letter.  Placing  this  in  his  breast,  he  went  a  few  paces 
from  the  path  where  he  found  that  he  sunk  to  his  knees, 
the  water  being  some  inches  deep  over  the  bog.  Then 
he  returned,  lifted  the  body  of  the  trooper,  carried  it  as 
far  into  the  bog  as  he  dared  venture,  and  then  dropped 
it.  He  placed  his  foot  on  the  iron  breastpiece,  and 
pressed  until  the  body  sank  in  the  soft  ooze,  and  the 
water  completely  covered  it.  Then  he  went  back  to  the 
horse,  and  taking  the  reins,  followed  the  track  until 
completely  clear  of  the  moorland  country,  where,  mount- 
ing, he  rode  back  to  Kirkglen,  and  presented  himself  to 
Harry.  The  latter  had,  hours  before,  gone  to  bed,  hav- 
ing posted  strong  guards  around  the  village.  He  struck 
a  light  and  listened  to  Mike's  relation  of  what  he  had 
done,  and  ended  by  the  production  of  the  document  with 
Cromwell's  signature. 

"Another  debt  to  the  Earl  of  Argyll,"  Harry  said 
grimly.  "However,  although  this  proves  the  treachery 
of  his  kinsman,  it  does  not  convict  Argyll  himself,  al- 
though the  evidence  is  strong  enough  to  hang  any  other 
man.  Now,  Leslie,  what  do  you  advise?  Shall  we  send 
and  seize  the  man  left  at  the  hut?" 

"It  is  a  doubtful  question,"  Leslie  answered,  after  a 
pause.  "When  Campbell  finds  that  his  messenger  does 
not  return  before  morning,  he  will  like  enough  send 
others  off  to  learn  the  reason  why.  If  they  find  him 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  261 

gone,  Campbell  may  suspect  that  b?s  plan  lias  failed  and 
may  send  warning  to  Cromwell." 

"At  any  rate,"  Harry  continued,  "we  need  not  decide 
before  morning.  But  at  daybreak,  Leslie,  plant  a  party 
of  men  on  the  road  and  stop  any  horseman  riding  out. 
Let  the  sergeant  in  charge  say  only  that  he  has  my 
orders  that  none  are  to  pass  eastward.  It  would  be  a 
natural  precaution  to  take,  and  when  the  news  conies 
back  to  the  castle,  Campbell  will  not  necessarily  know 
that  his  scheme  has  been  detected." 

The  next  morning  Leslie  volunteered  to  go  out  with  a 
couple  of  men  and  capture  the  guide,  and  arraying  him- 
self in  his  clothes,  to  take  his  place,  and  lead  the  Round- 
head troops  astray. 

"Were  the  country  other  than  it  is,"  Harry  said,  "I 
would  accept  your  offer,  my  brave  Leslie,  even  though  it 
might  entail  your  death,  for  it  would  be  difficult  for  you 
to  slip  away.  But  over  such  ground  there  is  no  need  of 
this.  Let  the  guide  lead  the  Roundhead  troops  along 
the  path.  We  will  reconnoiter  the  morass  to-day,  and 
when  night  falls  will  so  post  our  men  as  to  open  a  fire  on 
either  flank  of  him  as  he  conies  across  the  track.  Not 
more  than  four  footmen  can  march  abreast,  according  to 
what  Mike  says,  and  we  shall  surprise  him,  instead  of  he 
surprising  us." 

An  hour  later  two  horsemen  rode  out  from  the  castle, 
but  upon  reaching  the  guard  Leslie  had  placed  were 
turned  back.  They  returned  to  the  castle,  and  a  short 
time  afterward  a  trooper  rode  down  into  the  village  with 
a  note  from  Alan  Campbell,  demanding  haughtily  by 
what  warrant  Colonel  Furness  ventured  to  interfere  with 
the  free  passage  of  his  retainers.  Harry  replied  that  he 
had,  as  a  military  precaution,  stationed  guards  on  the 
various  roads  leading  toward  the  enemy's  quarter,  and 
that  they  were  ordered  to  turn  back  all,  whomsoever 
they  might  be,  who  might  seek  to  pass. 


262  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

Alan  Campbell  returned  a  furious  answer,  that  he 
should  sally  out  with  his  garrison,  and  ride  where  he 
listed.  Harry  replied  by  marching  fifty  men  up  to  the 
road  leading  to  the  castle,  and  by  sending  a  message  to 
Alan  Campbell  that,  although  he  should  regret  to  he 
obliged  to  treat  him  as  an  enemy,  yet  that  assuredly  if 
he  strove  by  force  to  break  the  military  rules  he  had  laid 
down,  he  should  be  compelled  to  fire  upon  him.  Leav- 
ing the  detachment  under  charge  of  Lieutenant  Long, 
and  the  main  body  in  the  village  under  that  of  Hugh 
Grahame,  Harry,  accompanied  by  Donald  Leslie  and 
Mike,  rode  off  to  reconnoiter  the  morass.  They  found 
that  it  was  particularly  bad  at  two  points,  while  between 
these  the  ground  was  firm  for  a  distance  of  twenty  yards 
on  each  side  of  the  track.  Beyond  the  swamp  was  very 
deep  for  thirty  or  forty  yards  on  both  sides,  and  then  it 
was  again  somewhat  firmer. 

Harry  decided  to  post  twenty-five  men  behind  these 
quagmires.  Their  orders  would  be  to  remain  perfectly 
quiet  until  the  column,  passing  the  first  morass,  should 
have  entered  the  second;  then,  when  Harry,  with  the 
main  body,  opened  fire  upon  them  there,  they  were  to 
commence  upon  the  flanks  of  the  column* 

Returning  to  the  camp,  Harry  sent  forty  men  with 
shovels,  obtained  in  the  village,  to  dig  a  trench,  twelve 
feet  wide,  and  as  deep  as  they  could  get  for,  the  water, 
across  the  track,  at  the  near  side  of  the  morass. 

At  nightfall,  leaving  twenty-five  men  under  William 
Long  in  front  of  the  castle,  with  orders  to  let  none  issue 
forth,  and  to  shoot  down  any  who  might  make  the  at- 
tempt, Harry  marched  out  with  the  rest  of  his  command. 
Crossing  the  ditch  which  had  been  dug,  he  led  fifty  for- 
ward, and  posted  them,  as  he  had  planned  with  Leslie; 
with  twenty-five,  he  took  up  his  own  station  behind  the 
breastwork  formed  by  the  earth  thrown  oat  from  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  263 

trench.  The  remaining  fifty  he  bade  advance  as  far  as 
they  safely  could  into  the  swamp  on  either  side.  Two 
hours  later  a  dull  sound  was  heard,  the  occasional  clink 
of  arms,  and  the  muffled  tread  of  many  feet  on  the  soft 
ground.  The  Roundhead  infantry,  two  hundred  strong, 
led  the  way,  followed  by  their  horse,  the  guide  walking 
with  the  officer  at  the  head  of  the  column.  When  it 
approached  within  twenty  yards  of  the  ditch  Harry  gave 
the  word,  and  a  flash  of  fire  streamed  from  the  top  of 
the  earthwork.  At  the  same  moment  those  on  either 
side  opened  fire  into  the  flanks  of  the  column,  while  the 
fifty  men  beyond  poured  their  fire  into  the  cavalry  in  tin 
rear  of  the  column. 

For  a  moment  all  was  confusion.  The  Koundheada 
had  anticipated  no  attack,  and  were  taken  wholly  by 
surprise.  The  guide  had  fallen  at  the  first  discharge  and 
all  were  ignorant  of  the  ground  on  which  they  found 
themselves.  They  were,  however,  trained  to  conflict. 
Those  on  the  flank  of  the  column  endeavored  to  pene- 
trate the  morass,  but  they  immediately  sank  to  the  mid- 
dle, and  had  much  ado  to  regain  the  solid  track.  The 
head  of  the  column,  pouring  a  volley  into  their  invisible 
foes,  leveled  their  pikes,  and  rushed  to  the  assault.  A 
few  steps,  and  they  fell  into  a  deep  hole,  breast  high 
with  water,  and  on  whose  slippery  bottom  their  feet 
could  scarce  find  standing.  In  vain  they  struggled 
forward.  From  front  and  flank  the  fire  of  their  enemy 
smote  them.  Those  who  reached  the  opposite  side  of 
the  trench  were  run  through  with  pikes  as  they  strove 
to  climb  from  it. 

For  ten  minutes  the  desperate  struggle  continued,  and 
then,  finding  the  impossibility  of  storming  such  a  posi- 
tion in  the  face  of  foes  of  whose  strength  they  were 
ignorant,  the  Roundhead  infantry  turned,  and  in  good 
order  marched  back,  leaving  half  their  number  dead  be* 


264  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

hind  them.  The  cavalry  in  the  rear  had  fared  but  little 
better.  Finding  the  ground  on  either  side  was  firm 
when  the  fire  opened  on  their  flanks,  they  faced  both 
ways,  and  charged.  But  ere  the  horses  had  gone  twenty 
strides  they  were  struggling  to  their  girths  in  the 
morass.  Their  foes  kept  up  a  steady  fire,  at  forty  yards5 
distance,  into  the  struggling  mass,  and  before  they 
could  extricate  themselves  and  regain  the  pathway,  many 
leaving  their  horses  behind,  a  third  of  their  number  had 
fallen.  Joined  by  the  beaten  infantry,  they  retired 
across  the  track,  and  made  their  way  back  toward  their 
camp. 

Leaving  a  strong  guard  at  the  morass  to  resist  further 
attempts,  Harry  returned  with  his  force  to  the  village, 
having  inflicted  a  loss  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  upon  the 
enemy,  while  he  himself  had  lost  but  eight  men.  He 
intrenched  the  position  strongly,  and  remained  there 
unmolested,  until  a  week  later  he  received  orders  to 
march  back  to  Edinburgh.  The  following  day  he  was 
summoned  before  King  Charles.  He  found  there  Gen- 
eral Leslie,  the  Earl  of  Argyll,  Alan  Campbell,  and  sev- 
eral of  the  leaders  of  the  Covenant. 

"What  is  this  I  hear  of  you,  Colonel  Furness?"  the 
king  said.  "General  Leslie  has  reported  to  me  that  you 
have  inflicted  a  very  heavy  defeat  upon  a  rebel  force 
which  marched  to  surprise  you.  This  is  good  service, 
and  for  it  I  render  you  my  hearty  thanks.  But,  sir,  the 
Earl  of  Argyll  complains  to  me  that  you  have  beleag- 
uered his  kinsman,  Alan  Campbell,  in  his  hold  at  Kirk- 
glen,  and  treated  him  as  a  prisoner,  suffering  none  to 
go  out  or  in  during  your  stay  there." 

"This,  sire,  is  the  warranty  for  my  conduct,"  Harry 
said,  producing  the  document  signed  by  Cromwell. 
"This  was  taken  by  one  of  my  men  from  a  trooper  who 
had  borne  a  dispatch  from  Alan  Campbell  to  the  enemy, 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  265 

My  man  watched  the  interview  between  him  and  Crom- 
well himself,  heard  the  terms  of  the  dispatch,  and  saw 
Cromwell  write  and  give  this  letter  to  the  trooper,  whom 
he  afterward  slew,  and  brought  me  the  letter.  The 
other  trooper,  who  acted  as  guide  to  the  enemy,  fell  in 
the  attack." 

The  king  took  the  letter  and  read  it.  "My  lord,"  he 
said,  "this  is  a  matter  which  gravely  touches  your  honor. 
This  is  a  letter  of  General  Cromwell's  in  answer  to  a 
traitorous  communication  of  your  kinsman  here.  He 
has  offered  to  betray  Colonel  Furness  and  the  troops 
under  him  to  Cromwell,  and  has  sent  a  guide  for  the 
English  troops.  He  stipulates  only  that  Colonel  Fur- 
ness  shall  be  handed  over  to  him  to  do  as  he  likes  with. 
As  it  was  manifest  to  me  here  some  time  since  that  you 
and  Colonel  Furness  are  not  friends,  this  touches  you 
nearly. " 

"I  know  nothing  of  it,"  the  earl  said.  "My  kinsman 
will  tell  you." 

"I  do  not  need  his  assurances,"  King  Charles  said 
coldly.  "He,  at  least,  is  proved  to  be  a  traitor,  and 
methinks,  my  lord  earl,  that  the  preachers  who  are  so 
fond  of  holding  forth  to  me  upon  the  wickedness  of  my 
ways  might  with  advantage  bestow  some  of  their  spare 
time  in  conversing  with  you  upon  the  beauty  and  godli- 
ness of  straightforwardness.  General  Leslie,  you  will 
arrest  at  once,  on  his  leaving  our  presence,  Colonel  Alan 
Campbell,  and  will  cause  a  court  of  inquiry  to  sift  this 
matter  to  the  bottom.  And  hark  you,  my  lord  of 
Argyll,  see  you  that  no  more  of  your  kinsmen  practice 
upon  the  life  of  my  faithful  Colonel  Furness.  This  is 
the  third  time  that  he  has  been  in  jeopardy  at  your 
hands.  I  am  easy,  my  lord  earl,  too  easy,  mayhap,  but 
let  no  man  presume  too  far  upon  it.  My  power  is  but 
limited  here,  but  remember  the  old  saying,  'Wise  men 


266  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

do  not  pull  the  tails  of  lions'  whelps.'  The  day  may 
come  when  Charles  II.  will  be  a  king  in  power  as  well 
as  in  name.  Beware  that  you  presume  not  too  far  upon 
his  endurance  now."  So  saying,  the  king  turned  from 
Argyll,  and  bidding  Harry  follow  him,  and  tell  him  the 
story  of  the  defeat  of  the  English  troops,  left  the  earl 
standing  alone,  the  picture  of  rage  and  mortification. 

"You  had  best  beware,  Master  Furness,"  the  king 
said.  "He  needs  a  long  spoon  they  say,  who  sups  with 
the  deil.  The  Earl  of  Argyll  is  the  real  king  of  Scot- 
land at  present,  and  it  is  ill  quarreling  with  him.  You 
have  got  the  best  of  it  in  the  first  three  rubbers,  but  be 
sure  that  Argyll  will  play  on  till  the  cards  favor  him. 
And  if  you  are  once  in  his  power,  I  would  not  give  a 
baubee  for  your  life.  The  proud  earl  treats  me  as  a 
master  would  teach  a  froward  pupil,  but  I  tell  yon, 
Master  Furness,  and  I  know  you  are  discreet  and  can  be 
trusted,  that  as  surely  as  the  earl  brought  Montrose  to 
the  block,  so  surely  shall  Argyll's  head  roll  on  the 
scaffold,  if  Charles  II.  is  ever  King  of  England.  But  I 
fear  for  you,  Master  Furness.  I  can  help  you  here  not 
at  all,  and  the  lecture  which,  on  your  behalf,  I  admin- 
istered to  the  earl — and  in  faith  I  wonder  now  at  my 
own  courage — will  not  increase  his  love  for  you.  You 
will  never  be  safe  as  long  as  you  remain  in  Scotland. 
What  do  you  say?  Will  you  go  south  and  join  one  or 
other  of  the  Royalist  bodies  who  are  in  arms  there?" 

"Not  so,  your  majesty.  With  your  permission,  I  will 
play  the  game  out  to  the  end,  although  I  know  that  my 
adversary  holds  the  strongest  cards.  But  even  did  I  wish  to 
leave,  it  would  be  as  hazardous  to  do  so  as  to  stay  here. 
So  long  as  I  am  with  my  regiment  I  am  in  safety.  I  could 
not  gain  England  by  sea,  for  the  Parliament  ships  bar 
the  way,  and  did  I  leave  my  regiment  and  go  south  with 
only  a  small  party,  my  chance  of  crossing  the  border 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  267 

alive  would  be  but  small.  No,  your  majesty,  I  have  the 
honor  to  command  a  king's  regiment,  and  whether 
against  Cromwell  in  the  field,  or  against  Argyll's  plots 
and  daggers,  I  shall  do  my  duty  to  the  end." 

•  When,  upon  his  return  to  the  camp,  Harry  told  his 
friends  the  purport  of  the  interview  between  himself 
and  Argyll,  of  Alan  Campbell  being  put  under  arrest 
and  the  earl  openly  reproved  by  the  king,  Donald  Leslie 
raised  his  hands  in  despair. 

"If  you  get  through  this,  Furness,"  he  said,  "I  shall 
for  the  rest  of  my  life  be  convinced  that  you  have  a 
charmed  existence,  and  that  your  good  genius  is  more 
powerful  than  the  evil  one  of  Argyll.  The  gossips  say 
that  he  is  in  alliance  with  the  evil  one  himself,  and  I 
can  well  believe  them.  But  I  beg  you,  in  all  seriousness, 
to  confine  yourself  to  the  camp.  So  long  as  you  are 
here  you  are  safe.  But  once  beyond  its  limits  your  life 
will  not  be  worth  a  straw." 

Jacob  added  his  entreaties  to  those  of  Leslie,  and 
Harry  promised  that  until  the  decisive  battle  was  over 
he  would  keep  among  his  men,  unless  compelled  by  duty 
to  appear  at  court. 

Four  days  afterward  a  soldier  entered  Harry's  tent, 
and  handed  him  a  missive.  It  was  as  follows:  "Upon 
receipt  of  this,  Colonel  Furness  will  proceed  to  Leith 
and  will  board  the  vessel,  the  Koyalist,  which  has  just 
arrived  from  Holland.  There  he  will  inspect  the  newly 
arrived  recruits,  who  will  be  attached  to  his  regiment. 
He  will  examine  the  store  of  arms  brought  by  her,  and 
will  report  on  their  state  and  condition. — David  Leslie, 
commanding  his  majesty's  armies." 

The  duty  was  one  of  mere  routine.  Harry  showed  the 
note  to  Jacob,  and  said,  "You  may  as  well  come  with 
me,  Jacob.  Your  drilling  is  over  for  the  day,  and  you 
can  aid  me  looking  through  the  stores.  Mike,"  he  said, 


268  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"we  shall  be  back  to  supper.  We  are  only  going  down 
to  the  port."  The  two  officers  buckled  on  their  swords, 
and  at  once  started  on  foot  for  the  port,  which  was  but 
half  a  mile  distant.  Mike  looked  anxiously  after  his 
master.  Since  the  day  when  danger  had  first  threatened 
him  he  had  scarce  let  him  out  of  his  sight,  following 
close  to  his  heels  like  a  faithful  dog.  His  present  busi- 
ness seemed  assuredly  to  forbode  no  danger.  Neverthe- 
less, the  lad  felt  restless  and  anxious  when  he  saw  his 
master  depart.  A  few  minutes  later  he  went  to  William 
Long's  tent.  "Master  Long,"  he  said,  "will  you  see 
that  my  master's  servant  gets  supper  in  readiness  at  the 
usual  hour.  He  has  gone  down  to  the  port  to  inspect 
some  recruits  just  arrived  from  Holland,  by  order  of 
General  Leslie,  and  said  he  would  return  by  supper.  I 
know  that  it  is  foolish,  but  since  the  affair  with  Alan 
Campbell  I  am  never  easy  when  he  is  not  near.  In  this 
case,  I  do  not  see  that  there  can  possibly  be  any  lurking 
danger.  Argyll  could  not  know  of  his  proceeding  to  the 
port,  nor  would  he  venture  to  attack  him  there  where 
the  streets  swarm  with  our  soldiers.  Nevertheless,  I 
would  fain  go  down  and  assure  myself  that  all  is  well." 

William  Long  at  once  promised  to  look  after  the 
supper,  and  Mike  hurried  away  after  Harry  and  his  com- 
panion. These  had,  however,  too  far  a  start  to  be  over- 
taken, and  when  he  reached  the  wharf  he  saw  a  boat 
rowed  by  two  men,  and  having  two  sitters  in  the  stern.  It 
was  already  some  distance  from  shore,  and  appeared  to 
be  proceeding  toward  a  vessel  which  lay  at  anchor  sev- 
eral hundred  yards  further  out  from  the  shore  than  the 
others. 

"Can  you  tell  me,"  he  asked  a  sailor,  "whether  that 
ship  lying  there  is  the  Royalist?" 

"That  is  the  name  she  goes  by  to-day,"  the  sailor  said, 
"for  as  I  rowed  past  her  this  morning  on  my  way  from 


FRIENDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  269 

fishing,  I  saw  the  name  newly  painted  on  her  stern. 
They  have  put  it  on  her  boat  too,  which  you  now  see 
rowing  toward  her,  and  which  has  been  lying  by  the 
pier  all  day,  in  readiness  to  take  out  any  one  who  might 
wish  to  go  off  to  her." 

"But  have  they  changed  her  name,  then?"  Mike  asked. 
"What  have  they  been  doing  that  for?" 

"She  has  been  called  the  Covenant  for  the  last  two 
years,"  the  sailor  said.  "But  I  suppose  Johnny  Camp- 
bell, her  master,  thought  the  other  more  suited  to  the 
times." 

The  name  of  the  captain  at  once  aroused  Mike's  un- 
easiness to  the  fullest. 

"Tell  me,"  he  said,  "'good  fellow,  did  that  ship  arrive 
this  morning  from  Holland?" 

"From  Holland!"  repeated  the  sailor.  "No.  She 
came  down  the  coast  from  the  north  three  days  ago, 
with  beasts  for  the  army." 

Mike  stood  for  a  moment  thunderstruck.  Then,  with- 
out a  word  to  the  sailor,  he  turned  and  ran  back  at  full 
speed  through  the  town  up  to  the  camp.  At  a  headlong 
pace  ho  made  his  way  through  the  camp  until  he 
stopped  at  the  tent  of  General  Leslie.  He  was  about  to 
rush  in  without  ceremony  when  the  sentinel  stopped  his 
way. 

"Please  let  me  pass,"  he  panted.  "I  would  see  the 
general  on  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance." 

The  sentries  laughed. 

"You  don't  suppose,"  one  of  them  said,  "that  the  gen- 
eral is  to  be  disturbed  by  every  barefooted  boy  wLo 
wants  to  speak  to  him.  If  you  have  aught  to  say,  you 
must  speak  first  to  the  lieutenant  of  the  guard." 

"Every  moment  is  of  importance,"  Mike  urged.  "It 
is  a  matter  of  life  and  dsath.  I  tell  you  I  must  see  the 


270  XIUENUS,  THOUGH  1)1  V1DED. 

general."    Then  at  the  top  of  his  voice  he   began   to 
shout,  "Sir  David  Leslie!     Sir  David  Leslie!" 

"Silence  there,  young  varmint,  or  I  will  wring  thy 
neck  for  thee!"  exclaimed  the  soldier,  greatly  scandal- 
ized, seizing  Mike  and  shaking  him  violently.  But  the 
boy  continued  to  shout  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Sir 
David  Leslie!  Sir  David  Leslie!" 


FRIENDS,  THOU  BE  DIVIDED.  271 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

KIDNAPED. 

UNABLE  to  silence  Mike's  shouts,  the  scandalized 
guards  began  dragging  him  roughly  from  the  spot^ 
cuffing  him  as  they  went.  But  the  door  of  the  tent 
opened,  and  General  Leslie  appeared. 

"What  means  all  this  unseemly  uproar?"  he  asked. 

"This  malapert  boy,  general,  wished  to  force  his  way 
into  your  tent,  and  when  we  stopped  him,  and  told  him 
that  he  must  apply  to  the  lieutenant  of  the  guard  if  he 
had  aught  of  importance  which  he  wished  to  communi- 
cate to  you,  he  began  to  shout  like  one  possessed." 

"Loose  him,"  the  general  said.  "Now,  varlet,  what 
mean  you  by  this  uproar?" 

"Forgive  me,  sir,"  Mike  pleaded,  "but  I  come  on  an 
errand  which  concerns  the  life  of  my  master,  Colonel 
Furness." 

"Come  within,"  the  general  said  briefly,  for  by  this 
time  a  crowd  had  gathered  round  the  tent.  "Now,"  he 
went  on,  "what  is  it  you  would  tell  me?" 

"I  would  ask  you,  sir,  whether  an  hour  since  you  sent 
an  order  to  my  master  that  he  should  forthwith  go  on 
board  the  ship  Royalist  to  inspect  recruits  and  stores  of 
arms  just  arrived  from  Holland?" 

The  general  looked  at  him  in  astonishment. 

"I  sent  no  such  order,"  he  said.  "No  ship  has  arrived 
from  Holland  of  that  or  any  other  name.  What  story  is 
this  that  you  have  got  hold  of?" 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"My  master  received  such  an  order,  sir,  for  I  beard 
him  read  it  aloud,  and  he  started  at  once  with  his  major 
to  carry  out  the  order.  Knowing,  sir,  how  great,  as  you 
are  doubtless  aware,  is  the  enmity  which  the  Earl  of 
Argyll  bears  to  my  master,  I  followed  him  to  the  port, 
and  there  learned  that  the  ship  called  the  Royalist  had 
not  come  from  Holland,  but  is  a  coaster  from  the  north, 
I  found,  moreover,  that  she  was  but  yesterday  named 
the  Royalist,  and  that  she  was  before  known  as  the  Cov- 
enant, and  that  she  is  commanded  by  a  Campbell. 
Then  it  seemed  to  me  that  some  plot  had  been  laid  to 
kidnap  my  master,  and  I  ran  straight  to  you  to  ask  you 
whether  you  had  really  ordered  him  to  go  on  board  this 
ship." 

"This  must  be  seen  to  at  once,'5  the  general  said;  for 
having  been  present  at  the  scene  when  Harry  produced 
CromwelPs  letter,  he  knew  how  deadly  was  the  hatred  of 
the  earl  for  the  young  colonel.  "Without  there!"  he 
cried.  A  soldier  entered.  "Send  the  lieutenant  of  the 
guard  here  at  once."  The  soldier  disappeared,  and  the 
general  sat  down  at  his  table  and  hastily  wrote  an  order. 
"Lieutenant,"  he  said,  when  the  officer  entered,  "give 
this  letter  to  Captain  Farquharson,  and  tell  him  to  take 
his  twenty  men,  and  to  go  on  the  instant  clown  to  the 
port.  There  he  is  to  take  boat  and  row  out  to  the  ship 
called  the  Royalist.  He  is  to  arrest  the  captain  and 
crew,  and  if  he  see  not  there  Colonel  Furness,  let  him 
search  the  ship  from  top  to  bottom.  If  he  find  no  signs 
of  him,  let  him  bring  the  captain  and  six  of  his  men 
ashore  at  once." 

As  soon  as  he  heard  the  order  given  Mike,  saluting 
the  general,  hurried  from  the  tent,  and  ran  at  full  speed 
to  the  camp  of  Harry's  regiment.  There  he  related  to 
Donald  Leslie  and  William  Long  the  suspicious  circum- 
stances which  had  occurred,  and  the  steps  which  the 
general  had  ordered  to  be  taken. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  27$ 

"This  is  bad  news,  indeed,"  Captain  Leslie  exclaimed; 
''and  I  fear  that  the  colonel  has  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
Argyll's  minions.  If  it  be  so  Farquharson  is  scarce 
likely  to  find  the  Royalist  at  anchor  when  he  arrives  at. 
the  port.  Come.  Long,  let  us  be  stirring.  I  will  hand 
over  the  command  of  the  regiment  to  Grahame  till  we 
return.  While  I  am  speaking  to  him  pick  me  out  ten 
trusty  men." 

He  hurried  off,  and  in  five  minutes  was  hastening; 
toward  the  port,  with  William  Long,  Mike,  and  ten 
men.  Such  was  the  speed  they  made  that  they  reached 
the  quay  just  at  the  same  time  with  Captain  Farquhar- 
son  and  his  men. 

Mike  gave  a  cry  of  despair.  The  Royalist  had  disap- 
peared. He  ran  up  to  a  sailor  who  was  still  sitting  on 
an  upturned  basket,  smoking  as  he  had  left  him  before. 

"Where  is  the  Royalist?"  he  exclaimed. 

"Halloo!  young  fellow,  are  you  back  again?  I 
thought  you  had  gone  off  with  a  bee  in  your  bonnet,  so 
suddenly  and  quickly  did  you  run.  The  Royalist?  ay, 
she  hoisted  her  sails  two  minutes  after  her  boat  reached 
her.  I  was  watching  her  closely,  for  I  wondered  whether 
she  had  aught  to  do  with  your  sudden  flight.  Methink^ 
that  something  strange  has  happened  on  board,  for  I  saw 
what  seemed  to  be  a  scuffle,  and  certainly  the  sun  shone 
on  the  gleam  of  swords.  Then,  too,  instead  of  heaving^ 
her  anchor,  she  slipped  the  cable,  and  a  Scotch  captain 
must  be  in  a  hurry  indeed  when  he  does  that." 

"Where  is  she  now?"  Mike  asked. 

"Over  there,  full  four  miles  away,  making  across  the 
Forth  for  the  northern  point  of  land." 

"Is  she  a  fast  ship?"  Captain  Leslie,  who  had  come* 
up,  inquired. 

"She  has  the  name  of  being  the  fastest  sailer  in  these* 
parts." 


^74  FRIENDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

"There  is  nothing  here  would  catch  her?'*  Donald 
Leslie  asked.  "Would  a  rowboat  have  a  chance  of  over- 
taking her?'* 

"Not  this  evening,"  the  sailor  said,  looking  at  the  sky. 
"The  wind  is  rising  now,  and  it  will  blow  a  gale  before 
morning." 

"Tell  me,  my  man,"  Leslie  asked,  "and  here  is  a  gold 
piece  for  your  pains,  where  you  think  she  is  likely  to 
put  in?" 

"That  will  all  depend, "the  sailor  replied,  "upon  what 
errand  she  is  bound.  I  must  know  that  before  I  can 
answer  you." 

Leslie  looked  at  William  Long.  The  latter  said: 
"It  were  best  to  tell  this  honest  fellow  the  facts  of  the 
case.  Look  'you,  my  man,  the  two  king's  officers  who 
have  gone  on  board  are  ill  friends  with  the  Campbells, 
and  we  doubt  not  that  these  have  kidnaped  and  carried 
them  off." 

"The  Campbells  are  an  ill  crew  to  deal  with,"  the 
sailor  said,  "and  I  do  not  love  them  myself.  If  it  be  as 
you  say,  they  might  be  landed  either  at  Anstruther,  near 
which  is  a  hold  belonging  to  Andrew  Campbell  of  Glen- 
coulie,  or  at  St.  Andrews,  or  at  Leuchars,  a  little  bay 
north  of  that  town,  whence  they  might  take  them  to 
Kilbeg  Castle,  also  held  by  a  Campbell.  It  is  a  lonely 
place  ten  miles  inland,  and  their  friends  would  be  little 
likely  to  look  for  them  there.  Besides,  the  Royalist 
might  land  them  and  sail  away  without  any  being  the 
wiser,  while  at  the  other  ports  her  coming  would  be 
surely  noticed." 

"Think  you  that  we  can  obtain  horses  on  the  other 
side?" 

"You  might  obtain  four  or  five,"  the  sailor  said,  "of 
Tony  Galbraith,  who  keeps  the  inn  there,  and  who  lets 
horses  on  hire  to  those  traveling  north." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  275 

"If  a  storm  comes  on/'  Leslie  asked,  "which  way  is  it 
likely  to  blow,  and  will  the  Royalist  be  like  to  make  the 
bay  you  name?  ' 

"Ah!  that  is  more  than  I  can  tell,"  the  sailor  replied. 
"Methinks  'twill  blow  from  the  west.  In  that  case,  she 
^ight  be  able  to  make  her  way  along  the  shore;  she 
might  run  into  port  for  shelter;  she  might  be  blown  out 
i,o  sea." 

"At  any  rate,"  Leslie  said,  "our  first  step  is  to  cross, 
Get  us  a  stout  sailing  boat.  Be  not  sparing  of  promises.'' 

The  man  at  once  went  off  to  a  group  of  sailors,  but 
these  at  first  shook  their  heads,  and  looked  toward  the 
sky.  Its  aspect  was  threatening.  The  wind  was  getting 
up  fast,  and  masses  of  scud  flew  rapidly  across  it.  Leslie 
went  up  to  the  group. 

"Come,  lads,"  he  said,  "five  pounds  if  you  put  us 
across." 

The  offer  was  too  tempting  to  be  rejected,  and  the 
men  hurried  down  and  began  to  prepare  a  large  sailing 
boat.  Leslie  and  Lieutenant  Long  had  a  hasty  consulta- 
tion, and  agreed  that,  seeing  the  difficulty  there  would 
be  in  obtaining  horses,  it  was  useless  to  take  mere  than 
ten  men  in  all.  Accordingly,  as  soon  as  the  boat  was  in 
readiness,  the  two  officers,  Mike,  and  seven  soldiers  took 
their  places  in  her.  The  sails  were  closely  reefed,  and 
she  at  once  put  out  into  the  Firth.  Every  minute  the 
wind  rose,  until,  by  the  time  they  were  half  across,  it 
was  blowing  a  gale.  The  boat  was  a  stout  one,  but  the 
waves  broke  freely  over  her,  and  four  of  the  soldiers 
M'ere  kept  at  work  baling  to  throw  out  the  water  she 
took  over  her  bows.  Once  or  twice  they  thought  that 
she  would  capsize,  so  furious  were  the  gusts,  but  the 
boatmen  were  quick  and  skillful.  The  sheets  were  let 
go  and  the  sails  lowered  until  the  force  of  the  squall 
abated,  and  at  last,  after  a  passage  which  seemed  rapid 


3?6  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

*ven  to  those  on  board,  anxious  as  they  were,  she  entered 
the  little  port. 

Hurrying  to  the  inn,  they  found  that  six  horses  were 
obtainable.  These  they  hired  at  once.  The  host  said 
that  he  could  send  to  some  farms,  not  far  distant,  and 
hire  four  more,  but  that  an  hour  or  so  would  elapse  ere 
they  came.  Leslie  and  William  Long  had  already  de- 
cided that  the  prisoners  would  most  probably  be  taken 
to  Kilbeg  Castle,  as  being  more  secluded  than  the 
others.  They  now  agreed  that  they  themselves  with 
Mike  and  three  soldiers  should  start  at  once,  to  intercept 
them  if  possible  between  the  sea  and  the  castle.  When 
the  other  horses  arrived  two  of  the  soldiers  were  to  ride 
with  all  speed  to  Anstruther,  and  two  to  St.  Andrews, 
-and  were  there  to  keep  sharp  watch  to  sea  ii  the  Koyal- 
ist  arrived  there,  and  landed  aught  in  the  way  either  of 
men  or  goods. 

Tha  point  to  which  they  were  bound  lay  fully  forty 
miles  away.  They  determined  to  die  as  far  as  the 
horses  would  carry  them,  and  than.,  if  at.  9  to  obtain  no 
more,  to  walk  forward.  Night  was  already  setting  in, 
«nd  a  driving  rain  flew  before  the  ftata 

"We  shall  never  be  able  to  keep  the  road,"  Leslie 
said  "Landlord,  have  you  one  here  who  could  serve 
as  guide?  He  must  be  quick-footed  and  sure.  Our 
business  is  urgent,  and  we  are  ready  to  p&y  well." 

A  guide  was  speedily  found,  a  lad  on  a  shaggy  pony, 
who  had  the  day  before  come  down  from  the  north  with 
sattle.  While  the  horses  were  being  prepared  the  party 
had  taken  a  hasty  supper,  and  Leslie  had  seen  that  each 
of  the  soldiers  had  a  tankard  of  hot  spiced  wine.  So 
quickly  had  the  arrangements  been  made  that  in  half  an 
hour  after  their  arrival  at  the  port  the  party  started  from 
the  inn.  The  ride  was  indeed  a  rough  one.  The  coun- 
try was  heavy  and  wild.  The  rain  drenched  them  to  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  27? 

skin  in  spite  of  their  thick  cloaks,  and  the  wind  blew  at 
times  with  such  violence  that  the  horses  were  fain  to- 
stop  and  stand  huddled  together  facing  it  to  keep  their 
ieet.  Hour  after  hour  they  rode,  never  getting  beyond 
a  walk,  so  rough  was  the  road;  often  obliged  to  pause 
altogether  from  the  force  of  the  gale.  Twice  they 
stopped  at  inns  at  quiet  villages,  knocked  up  the  sleep- 
ing hosts,  and  obtained  hot  wine  for  themselves  and  hot 
gruel  for  their  horses.  Their  pace  grew  slower  as  the 
animals  became  thoroughly  knocked  up,  and  at  last 
could  not  be  urged  beyond  a  walk. 

At  the  next  village  they  stopped,  and  as  they  found 
that  there  was  no  possibility  of  obtaining  fresh  horses, 
they  determined  to  push  forward  on  foot.  It  was  now 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  they  had  ridden  over 
forty  miles.  Another  guide  was  obtained,  and  they  set 
forward.  Although  they  had  hurried  to  the  utmost,  it 
was  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  they  came  down 
upon  a  valley  with  a  narrow  stream  which  their  guide 
told  them  fell  into  the  sea,  near  Leuchars.  They  were, 
he  said,  now  within  two  miles  of  the  castle,  the  track 
from  which  to  the  sea  ran  down  the  valley.  The  wind 
was  still  blowing  a  gale,  but  the  clouds  had  broken,  and 
at  times  the  sun  streamed  out  brightly. 

"Thank  Heaven  we  are  here  at  last,"  Donald  Leslie- 
said,  "for  a  harder  night  I  have  never  spent.  I  think 
we  must  be  in  time." 

"I  think  so,"  William  Long  said.  "Supposing  the 
Royalist  made  the  bay  safely,  sha  would  have  been  there 
by  midnight  but  the  sea  would  have  been  so  high  that  I 
doubt  if  they  would  have  launched  a  boat  till  morning. 
It  was  light  by  five,  but  they  might  wait  for  the  gale  to- 
abate  a  little,  and  after  landing  they  have  eight  miles  to 
come.  Of  course,  they  might  have  passed  here  an  hour 
ago,  but  a  incline  to  think  that  they  would  not  laud  till 


278  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

later,  as  with  this  wind  blowing  off  shore,  it  would  be  no 
easy  matter  to  row  a  boat  in  its  teeth." 

The  guide  saying  that  there  was  a  cottage  a  mile 
further  up  the  valley,  he  was  sent  there  with  instructions 
to  ask  whether  any  one  had  been  seen  to  pass  that  morn- 
ing. After  being  half  an  hour  absent  he  returned,  say- 
ing that  there  was  only  an  old  woman  at  the  hut,  and 
that  she  had  told  him  she  was  sure  no  one  had  passed 
there  since  daybreak.  They  now  followed  the  stream 
down  the  valley  until  they  came  to  a  small  wood.  Here 
they  lay  down  to  rest,  one  being  placed  upon  the  look- 
out. Two  hours  later  the  sentry  awoke  them  with  the 
news  that  a  party  of  men  were  coming  up  the  valley. 
All  were  at  once  upon  the  alert. 

"Thank  Heaven/'  Leslie  said,  "we  have  struck  the 
right  place.  There  seem  to  be  ten  or  twelve  of  them,  of 
whom  two,  no  doubt,  are  the  prisoners.  We  shall  have 
no  difficulty  in  overcoming  them  by  a  sudden  surprise. 
Capture  or  kill  every  man  if  possible,  or  we  shall  have 
hot  work  in  getting  back  to  Edinburgh." 

When  the  party  came  nearer  it  could  be  seen  that  it 
consisted  of  eight  armed  men,  in  the  center  of  whom  the 
two  Royalist  officers  were  walking.  Their  arms  were 
bound  to  their  sides.  Leslie  arranged  that  he  with  Mike 
and  one  of  the  soldiers  would  at  once  spring  to  their  aid, 
as  likely  enough,  directly  the  attack  began,  the  captors 
might  endeavor  to  slay  their  prisoners,  to  prevent  them 
from  being  rescued.  Mike  was  instructed  to  strike  no 
blow,  but  to  devote  himself  at  once  to  cutting  their 
cords,  and  placing  weapons  in  their  hands. 

The  surprise  was  complete.  The  sailors  forming  the 
majority  of  the  party,  with  two  trusty  retainers  of  the 
earl,  who  had  special  charge  of  the  affair,  were  proceed- 
ing carelessly  along,  having  no  thought  of  interruption. 
So  far  their  plans  had  succeeded  perfectly.  The  mo- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  279 

ment  the  two  officers  had  reached  the  quay  they  were 
addressed  by  the  men  sent  on  shore  with  the  Royalist's 
boat.  Unsuspicious  of  danger  they  took  their  place  in  it, 
and  therefore  missed  the  opportunity,  which  they  would 
have  had  if  they  had  entered  any  of  the  other  boats,  of 
learning  the  true  character  of  the  Royalist.  They  had 
been  attacked  the  instant  they  gained  the  deck  of  the 
vessel.  Harry,  who  was  first,  had  been  knocked  down 
before  he  had  time  to  put  his  hand  to  his  sword.  Jacob 
had  fought  valiantly  for  a  short  time,  but  he  too  had 
been  knocked  senseless  by  a  blow  with  a  capstan  bar. 
They  had  then  been  roughly  tumbled  below,  where  no 
further  attention  had  been  paid  to  them.  The  Royalist 
had  been  blown  many  miles  out  to  sea,  and  did  not  make 
her  anchorage  until  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Then 
the  hatches  were  removed,  and  the  prisoners  brought  on 
deck. 

The  inlet  was  a  small  one,  and  contained  only  a  little 
fishing  village;  the  prisoners  saw  the  Royalist  sail  off 
again,  directly  they  had  been  placed  in  the  boat.  They 
had  from  the  first  moment  when  they  regained  conscious- 
ness entertained  no  doubts  whatever  into  whose  hands 
they  had  fallen,  and  they  felt  their  position  to  be  desper- 
ate. The  plan,  indeed,  had  been  skillfully  laid,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  Harry  reading  the  order  aloud  in  Mike's 
presence,  there  would  have  been  no  clew  to  their  disap- 
pearance. During  the  night  the  young  men  were  too 
overpowered  with  the  violence  of  the  storm,  and  the 
closeness  of  the  atmosphere  in  the  hold,  in  which  they 
had  been  thrown,  to  converse.  But  as  the  motion 
moderated  in  the  morning  they  had  talked  over  their 
chances,  and  pronounced  them  to  be  small  indeed. 
Harry,  indeed,  remembered  that  Mike  had  been  present 
when  he  asked  Jacob  to  accompany  him  on  board  ship, 
but  he  thought  that  no  uneasiness  would  be  felt  until 


£80  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

kte  that;  night,  as  it  might  well  be  thought  that  their 
duties  had  detained  them,  and  that  they  had  supped  on 
board.  The  storm  might  further  account  for  their  non- 
appearance  till  morning.  Then  they  imagined  that 
inquiry  would  be  made,  and  that  it  would  be  found  that 
the  Royalist  had  sailed.  Their  captors  would  then  have 
a  start  of  twenty-four  hours,  and  in  such  troubled  times 
it  was  scarce  likely  that  anything  would  be  done.  Nor 
indeed  did  they  see  how  they  could  be  followed,  as  the 
destination  of  the  ship  would  be  entirely  unknown.  The 
very  fact  that  they  had  not  been  thrown  overboard  when 
fairly  out  at  sea  was  in  itself  a  proof  that  their  captors 
entertained  no  fear  of  pursuit;  had  they  done  so,  they 
would  have  dispatched  them  at  once.  The  captives  felt 
sure  that  it  was  intended  to  land  them,  in  order  that 
Argyll  himself  might  have  the  pleasure  of  taunting  them 
before  putting  them  to  death.  Against  Jacob,  indeed, 
he  could  have  no  personal  feeling,  and  it  was  by  accident 
only  that  he  was  a  sharer  in  Harry's  fate.  But  as  a  wit- 
ness of  what  had  taken  place,  his  life  would  assuredly  be 
taken,  as  well  as  that  of  his  companion.  As  they  walked 
along  they  gathered  from  the  talk  of  their  guards  the 
distance  which  they  had  to  go,  and  the  place  of  their 
destination.  They  had  never  heard  of  Kilbeg  Castle, 
but  as  they  had  no  enemies  save  Argyll,  they  know  that 
it  must  belong  to  one  of  his  clan.  They  spoke  but  little 
on  the  wayc  Harry  was  wondering  how  the  news  of  his 
disappearance  would  be  received  in  the  camp,  and  think- 
ing of  the  dismay  which  it  would  occasion  in  the  minds  of 
Mike  and  William  Long,  when  suddenly  he  heard  a 
shout,  arid  on  the  instant  a  fierce  fight  was  raging  around 
him.' 

Although  taken  completely  by  surprise,  the  sailors 
fought  steadily.  But  two  were  cut  down  before  they 
could  draw  a  sword,  and  the  others,  outmatched,  were 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  %8\ 

driven  backward.  The  leader  of  the  party  shouted  again 
and  again,  "Kill  the  prisoners/'  but  he  and  each  of  hia 
men  were  too  hotly  engaged  with  the  adversaries  wh* 
pressed  them,  to  do  more  than  defend  their  own  lives*. 
In  a  minute  the  fray  was  rendered  still  more  unequal  bj 
Harry  and  Jacob  joining  in  it,  and  in  less  than  threa 
minutes  from  its  commencement  seven  of  the  guards 
lay  dead  or  dying  upon  the  ground.  The  other,  an 
active  young  fellow,  had  taken  to  flight  early  in  th» 
fight,  and  was  already  beyond  reach. 

The  contest  over,  there  was  a  delighted  greeting  bo 
tween  the  rescued  prisoners  and  their  friends. 

"Come,"  Leslie  said,  "we  have  not  a  moment  to  lose. 
That  fellow  who  has  escaped  will  take  the  news  to  Kil 
beg,  and  we  shall  be  having  its  garrison  at  our  heels* 
He  has  but  three  miles  to  run,  and  they  will  beat  to 
horse  in  a  few  minutes  after  he  gets  there.  We  must 
strike  across  the  hills,  and  had  best  make  a  great  circuit 
by  Stirling.  If  we  avoid  the  roads  and  towns  they  mat 
not  pick  up  our  track.'' 

Their  guide  fortunately  knew  the  country  well,  and 
leaving  the  path  by  which  they  had  traveled,  the  partj 
started  on  their  return.  All  day  they  tramped  across 
the  moorlands,  avoiding  all  villages  and  scattered  farm- 
houses. They  had,  they  knew,  three-quarters  of  am 
hour's  start,  and  as  their  pursuers  would  be  alike  ignorant 
whence  they  came  or  whither  they  were  going,  th* 
chances  of  their  hitting  the  right  route  were  small. 

Making  a  circuit  round  Kinross  and  Alloa,  where  th« 
Campbells  might  have  ridden  in  pursuit,  and  sleeping  ir\ 
a  wood,  they  arrived  next  day  at  Stirling.  Here  wa» 
great  excitement,  for  Cromwell's  army,  marching  south 
of  Edinburgh,  had  approached  the  town.  TheJ 
remained,  however,  a  few  hours  only,  collecting  what  pr^ 


282  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

visions  they  could,  and  then  falling  back  again  to  their 
former  camp  at  Musselburgh.  The  following  day  Harry 
and  his  party  marched  to  Edinburgh.  That  night 
Harry  reported  to  Sir  David  Leslie  what  had  befallen 
him  and  the  next  morning  he  accompanied  the  general 
to  Holyrood,  and  laid  a  complaint  before  the  kingc 

His  majesty  was  most  indignant  at  the  attempt  which 
had  been  made  upon  his  follower,  btft  he  said  to  General 
Leslie,  "I  doubt  not,  Sir  David,  that  your  thoughts  and 
mine  go  toward  the  same  person.  But  we  have  no  evi- 
dence that  he  had  an  absolute  hand  in  it,  although  the 
fact  that  this  ship  was  commanded  by  a  Campbell,  and 
that  the  hold  of  Kilbeg  belongs  to  one  of  his  kinsmen, 
point  to  his  complicity  in  the  affair.  Still,  that  is  no 
proof.  Already  the  earl  is  no  friend  of  mine.  When 
the  day  comes  I  will  have  a  bitter  reckoning  with  him, 
but  in  the  present  state  of  my  fortunes,  methinks  that 
'twere  best  in  this,  as  in  other  matters,  to  hold  my 
tongue  for  the  time.  I  cannot  afford  to  make  him  an 
open  enemy  now." 

General  Leslie  agreed  with  the  king.  Cromwell's 
army  was  in  a  sore  strait,  and  would,  they  hoped,  be 
shortly  driven  either  to  surrender  or  to  fight  under  dis- 
advantageous circumstances.  But  the  open  defection  of 
Argyll  at  the  present  moment,  followed  as  it  would  be 
by  that  of  the  whole  fanatical  party,  would  entirely  alter 
the  position  of  affairs,  and  Harry  begged  his  majesty  to 
take  no  more  notice  of  the  matter,  and  so  returned  to 
the  camp. 


FIENDS.  THOV&E  DIVIDED 


CHAPTEE  XXIIL 

THE  BATTLE  OF  WORCESTSH, 

THEnexfc  morning  the  Scotch  army  moved 
of  Cromwell,  which  had  fallen  back  to  D  unbar* 
post  on  the  Doon  hill  facing  him  there.  Cromwell's 
army  occupied  a  peninsula,  having  on  their  face  a  broc?c 
running  along  a  deep,  narrow  little  valley.  Tha  Scotch. 
position  on  the  hill  was  an  exceedingly  strong  one,  aai 
had  they  remained  there  Cromwell's  army  mast  have 
been  driven  to  surrender.  Cromwell  himself  wrote  oa 
that  night,  "The  enemy  hath  blocked  up  our  way  a&  tba 
pass  at  Copperspath,  through  which  we  cannot  paws 
without  almost  a  miracle.  He  lieth  so  upon  ihe  hits 
that  we  knoweth  not  how  to  come  that  way  without  SD  ac& 
difficulty,  and  our  lying  here  daily  consumeth  JUT 
who  fall  sick  beyond  imagination/' 

The  Scotch  had,  in  fact,  the  game  in  their  hi-ndfc 
hey  but  waited  on  the  ground  they  had  taken  np.  rJL*..o 
English  had,  however,  an  ally  in  their  camp.  Tilt  I&a.  1 
of  Argyll  strongly  urged  that  an  attack  should  be  H&ac  3 
\ipon  the  English,  and  he  was  supported  by  the  preacher 
and  fanatics,  who  exclaimed  that  the  Lord  had  delivered 
their  enemies  into  their  hands.  General  Leslie,  how- 
ever, stood  firm.  The  preachers  scattered  in  the  camp 
and  exhorted  the  soldiers  to  go  down  and  smite  tha 
enemy.  So  great  an  enthusiasm  did  they  excite  by  the;v£ 
promises  of  victory  that  in  the  afternoon  the  soldiers* 
without  orders  from  their  general>  moved  dow  i  ihe 


884  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

toward  the  enemy.  The  more  regular  body  of  the  troops 
stood  firm,  but  Leslie,  seeing  that  the  preachers  had  gof 
the  mastery,  and  that  his  orders  were  no  longer  obeyed, 
ordered  these  also  to  move  forward,  in  hopes  that  the 
enthusiasm  which  had  been  excited  would  yet  suffice  to 
win  the  victory. 

Cromwell  saw  the  fatal  mistake  which  had  been  com 
mitted,  and  in  the  night  moved  round  his  troops  to  hia 
left,  and  these  at  daybreak  fell  upon  the  Scottish  right. 
The  night  had  been  wet,  and  the  Scottish  army  were 
unprovided  with  tents.  Many  of  their  matchlocks  had 
been  rendered  useless.  At  daybreak  on  the  morning  of 
the  3d  of  September  the  English,  led  by  General  Lam- 
bert, fell  upon  them.  The  Scotch  for  a  time  stood 
their  ground  firmly;  but  the  irregular  troops,  who  had 
by  their  folly  led  the  army  into  this  plight,  gave  way  be- 
fore the  English  pikemen.  The  preachers,  who  were  in 
vast  numbers,  set  the  example  of  flight.  Many  of  the 
regiments  of  infantry  fought  most  fiercely,  but  the  bat- 
tle was  already  lost.  The  Scotch  cavalry  were  broken  by 
the  charge  of  the  Ironsides,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  from 
the  commencement  of  the  fighting  the  rout  was  com- 
plete. Three  thousand  Scotch  were  killed,  and  ten 
thousand  taken  prisoners. 

Harry's  regiment  was  but  slightly  engaged.  It  had 
been  one  of  the  last  to  march  down  the  hill  on  the  even- 
ing before,  and  Harry  and  Jacob  foresaw  the  disaster 
which  would  happen.  "If  I  were  the  king,"  Harry 
said,  "I  would  order  every  one  of  these  preachers  out  of 
camp,  and  would  hang  those  who  disobeyed.  Then  1 
would  march  the  army  on  to  the  hill  again.  If  i,hey 
wait  there  the  English  must  attack  us  with  grievous 
disadvantage,  or  such  as  cannot  get  on  board  their  ships 
must  surrender.  Charles  would  really  be  king  then, 
and  could  disregard  the  wrath  of  the  men  of  the  conven- 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  IUVILED,  £85 

tides.  Cromwell  will  attack  as  to-morrow,  and  will 
Defeat  us;  his  trained  troops  are  more  than. a  match  for 
these  Scotchmen,  who  think  more  of  their  preachers thun 
of  their  officers,  and  whose  discipline  is  of  the  slackest.'* 

"I  agree  with  you  entirely,"  Jacob  said.  "But  in  the 
present  mood  of  the  army,  I  believe  that  half  of  them 
would  march  away  if  the  general  dismissed  the 
preachers." 

The  next  day,  when  the  fight  began,  Harry  moved 
forward  his  regiment  to  the  support  of  the  Scottish 
right,  but  before  he  came  fairly  into  the  fray  this  had 
already  given  away,  and  Harry,  seeing  that  the  day  was 
lost,  halted  his  men,  and  fell  back  in  good  order.  Again 
and  again  the  Ironsides  charged  them.  The  leveled 
pikes  and  heavy  musketry  fire  each  time  beat  them  off, 
and  they  marched  from  the  field  almost  the  only  body 
which  kept  its  formation.  Five  thousand  of  the  country 
people  among  the  prisoners  Cromwell  allowed  to  depart  to 
their  homes.  The  remainder  he  sent  to  Newcastle,  where 
great  numbers  of  them  were  starved  to  death  by  the 
cruelty  of  the  governor,  Sir  Arthur  Hazelrig.  The 
remainder  were  sent  as  slaves  to  New  England. 

Leslie,  with  the  wreck  of  his  army,  fell  back  to  Stir- 
ling, while  Charles,  with  the  Scotch  authorities,  went  to 
Perth.  Here  the  young  king,  exasperated  beyond  en- 
durance at  the  tyranny  of  Argyll  and  the  faratics, 
escaped  from  them,  and  with  two  or  three  friends  rode 
Sfty  miles  north.  He  was  overtaken  and  brought  back 
to  Perth,  but  the  anger  of  the  army  was  so  hot  at  his 
treatment  that  the  fanatics  were  henceforth  obliged  to 
put  a  curb  upon  themselves,  and  a  strong  king's  party, 
as  opposed  to  that  of  the  Covenant,  henceforth  guided 
his  counsels. 

The  winter  passed  quietly.     The  English  troops 


PRIEND8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

enable  oO  stand  the  inclemency  of  the  climate,  and  con* 
tented  themselves  with  capturing  Edinburgh  Castle,  awl 
other  strongholds  south  of  the  Forth,  Cromwell  was 
compelled  by  ill  health  to  return  for  some  months  to 
England.  Leslie's  army  was  strongly  intrenched  round 
Stirling.  In  June  Cromwell  again  took  the  field,  and 
moved  against  Perth,  which  he  captured  on  the  31st  of 
July.  Charles,  who  had  joined  his  army  at  Stirling^ 
broke  up  his  camp  and  marched  toward  England,  the 
road  being  open  to  him  owing  to  Cromwell  and  his  army 
being  further  north  at  Perth. 

During  the  time  which  had  elapsed  since  the  battle  of 
Dunbar  no  events  had  happened  in  Harry's  life.  Re- 
maining quietly  in  camp,  where  the  troops,  who  had 
been  disgusted  by  the  conduct  of  the  fanatics  at  Dunbar, 
were  now  ill  disposed  toward  Argyll  and  his  party,  he 
had  little  fear  of  the  machinations  of  the  earl,  who  was 
with  the  king  at  Perth. 

Argyll  refused  to  join  in  the  southern  march,  and  the 
army  with  which  Leslie  entered  England  numbered  only 
eleven  thousand  men.  As  soon  as  he  crossed  the  border, 
Charles  was  proclaimed  king,  and  proclamations  were 
issued  calling  on  all  loyal  subjects  to  join  him. 

The  people  were,  however,  weary  of  civil  war.  The 
Royalists  had  already  suffered  so  heavily  that  they  held 
back  now,  and  the  hatred  excited,  alike  by  the  devasta- 
tions of  the  Scotch  army  on  its  former  visit  to  England, 
and  by  the  treachery  with  which  they  had  then  sold  the 
king,  deterred  men  from  joining  them.  A  few  hundred, 
indeed,  came  to  his  standard;  but  upon  the  other  hand, 
Lambert  and  Harrison,  with  a  strong  force,  were  march- 
ing against  him,  and  Cromwell,  having  left  six  thousand 
men  in  Scotland,  under  Monk,  was  pressing  hotly  be- 
hind with  the  victors  of  Dunbar.  On  the  22d  of  August 
Charles  reached  Worcester.  On  the  28th  Cromwell  was 
close  to  the  town  with  thirty  thousand  men. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  287 

"This  is  the  end  of  it  all,  Jacob,"  Harry  said  that 
night.  "They  outnumber  us  by  three  to  one,  and  even 
if  equal,  they  would  assuredly  beat  us,  for  the  Scotch 
are  dispirited  at  finding  themselves  so  far  from  home, 
in  a  hostile  country.  Things  look  desperate.  If  all  is 
lost  to-morrow,  do  you  and  William  Long  and  Mike 
keep  close  to  me.  Get  a  horse  for  Mike  to-night.  You 
and  Long  are  already  mounted.  If  all  is  lost  we  must 
try  and  make  our  way  to  the  seacoast,  and  take  boat  for 
France  or  Holland.  But  first  of  all  we  must  see  to  the 
safety  of  the  king.  It  is  clear  that  at  present  England 
is  not  ready  to  return  to  the  former  state  of  things. 
We  must  hope  that  some  day  she  will  weary  of  the 
Roundhead  rule,  and  if  the  king  can  reach  the  Continent 
he  must  remain  there  till  England  calls  him.  At  pres- 
ent she  only  wants  peace.  It  is  just  nine  years  now 
since  King  Charles'  father  set  up  his  standard  at  Not- 
tingham. Nine  years  of  wars  and  troubles!  No  wonder 
men  are  aweary  of  it.  It  is  all  very  well  for  us,  Jacob, 
who  have  no  wives,  neither  families  nor  occupations,  and 
are  without  property  to  lose,  but  I  wonder  not  that  men 
who  have  these  things  are  chary  of  risking  them  in  a 
cause  which  seems  destined  to  failure." 

Upon  the  3d  of  September,  1651,  the  anniversaiy  of 
the  battle  of  Dunbar,  Cromwell  advanced  to  the  attack 
Harry's  regiment  was  placed  among  some  hedges  around 
the  city,  and  upon  them  the  brunt  of  the  fight  first  fell. 
In  spite  of  the  immense  numbers  brought  against  them 
they  defended  themselves  with  desperate  bravery.  Some 
of  the  Scottish  troops  came  up,  and  for  a  time  Crom- 
well's footmen  could  make  but  little  way.  At  other 
parts,  however,  the  resistance  was  more  feeble,  and  the 
Scotch  fell  rapidly  into  confusion.  Contesting  every 
foot  of  the  way,  Harry's  regiment  was  driven  back  into 


288  fRIfilTDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  town,  where  a  terrible  confusion  reigned.  StiD 
keeping  his  men  together,  he  marched  to  the  market- 
place. Here  he  found  the  king  with  a  considerable  body 
of  horse.  The  greater  part,  however,  of  the  horse  had 
fled  through  the  town  without  drawing  rein,  while  the 
foot  were  throwing  away  their  arms  and  flying  in  all 
directions. 

"If  all  my  troops  had  fought  like  your  regiment, 
Colonel  Purness,  we  should  have  won  the  day,"  the  king 
said.  "As  it  is  now,  it  is  a  hopeless  rout.  It  is  useless 
for  your  brave  fellows  to  throw  away  their  lives  further. 
They  will  only  be  cut  down  vainly,  seeing  that  the  rest 
of  my  army  are  disbanded.  Thank  them  from  me  for 
their  services,  and  bid  them  seek  their  homes  as  best 
they  may  and  wait  for  better  times.  They  are  English, 
and  will  meet  with  better  treatment  from  the  country 
people  than  will  the  Scotch.  Then  do  you  join  me.  I 
am  going  to  head  my  horsemen  here  in  a  charge  against 
the  Roundhead  cavalry,  and  so  give  more  time  for  the 
arrny  to  get  away." 

Harry  rode  up  to  his  troops,  now  reduced  to  half  their 
former  strength.  Leslie  and  Grahame  had  both  been 
killed,  and  William  Long  was  sorely  wounded.  He  gave 
the  men  the  message  from  the  king,  and  the  brave  fel- 
lows gave  a  cheer  for  King  Charles,  the  last  he  was  to 
hear  for  ten  years.  Then  they  marched  away  in  orderly 
array,  with  their  arms,  intending  to  beat  off  all  who 
might  attack  them  before  nightfall,  and  then  to  break  up 
and  scatter,  each  for  himself.  William  Long  had 
friends  near  Gloucester,  and  as  hia  wound  would  prevent 
him  from  traveling  rapidly  with  Harry,  he<took  farewell 
of  him,  and  rode  away  with  the  regiment.  Harry,  with 
Jacob  and  Mike,  rejoined  the  king,  and  they  rode 
toward  the  gate  by  which  the  Roundhead  troops  were 
already  entering  the  town.  The  horsemen,  however, 
had  but  little  stomach  for  the  fight,  and  as  the  king  ad- 


F&IEND8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED,  289 

vanced,  in  twos  and  threes  they  turned  their  horses' 
heads  and  rode  off. 

Harry  was  riding  close  to  the  king,  and  looking  round 
said  at  length,  "It  is  useless,  your  majesty.  There  arc 
not  a  dozen  men  with  us." 

The  king  looked  round  and  checked  his  horse.  Be- 
sides his  personal  friends,  Buckingham,  Wilmot,  and  one 
or  two  othcsr  nobles,  scarce  a  man  remained.  The  king 
shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Well,  gentlemen,  as  we  can- 
not fight,  we  must  needs  run."  Then  the  party  turned 
their  horses  and  galloped  out  on  the  other  side  of  Worces- 
ter. The  country  was  covered  with  fugitives.  They 
soon  came  upon  a  considerable  body  of  horse,  who  at 
once  attached  themselves  to  the  party.  "These,  gentle- 
men," the  king  said,  "would  not  fight  when  I  wanted 
them  to,  and  now  that  I  would  fain  be  alone,  they  follow 
me." 

At  last,  when  darkness  came  on,  the  king,  with  his 
personal  friends  and  some  sixty  others,  slipped  away 
down  a  by-road,  and  after  riding  for  some  hours  came  to 
a  house  called  the  White  Ladies.  Here  for  a  few  hours 
they  rested.  Then  a  council  was  held.  They  had  news 
that  on  a  heath  near  were  some  three  thousand  Scotch 
cavalry.  The  king's  friends  urged  him  to  join  these  and 
endeavor  to  make  his  way  back  into  Scotland,  but  Charles 
had  already  had  more  than  enough  of  that  country,  and 
he  was  sure  that  Argyll  and  his  party  would  not  hesitate 
to  deliver  him  up  to  the  Parliament,  as  they  had  done 
his  father  before  him.  He  therefore  determined  to  dis- 
guise himself,  and  endeavor  to  escape  on  foot,  taking 
with  him  only  a  guide.  The  rest  of  the  party  agreed  to 
join  the  Scotch  horse,  and  endeavor  to  reach  the  border. 
After  a  consultation  with  Jacob,  Harry  determined  to 
follow  the  example  of  the  king,  and  to  try  and  make  his 
way  in  disguise  to  a  seaport.  He  did  not  believe  that 


890  FRIENDS,  THOUOE  DIVIDED. 

the  Scotch  cavalry  would  be  able  to  regain  their  country, 
nor  even  if  they  did  would  his  position  be  improved  were 
he  with  them.  With  the  destruction  of  the  Royalist 
army,  Argyll  would  again  become  supreme,  and  Harry 
doubted  not  that  he  would  satisfy  his  old  grudge  against 
him.  He  was  right  in  his  anticipations.  The  Scots 
were  a  day  or  two  later  routed  by  the  English  horse,  and 
comparatively  few  of  them  ever  regained  their  country. 
Out  of  the  eleven  thousand  men  who  fought  at  Worces- 
ter, seven  thousand  were  taken  prisoners,  including  the 
greater  part  of  the  Scottish  contingent.  The  English, 
attracting  less  hostility  and  attention  'from  the  country 
people,  for  the  most  part  reached  their  homes  in  safety. 

As  soon  as  the  king  had  ridden  off,  Harry  with  Jacob 
and  Mike,  started  in  another  direction.  Stopping  at  a 
farmhouse,  they  purchased  from  the  master  three  suita 
of  clothes.  Harry's  was  one  of  the  farmer's  own,  the 
man  being  nearly  his  own  size.  For  Jacob,  who  waa 
much  shorter,  a  dress,  cloak  and  bonnet  of  the  farmer's 
wife  was  procured,  and  for  Mike  the  clothes  of  one  of 
the  farmer's  sons.  One  of  the  horses  was  left  here,  and 
a  pillion  obtained  for  the  other.  Putting  on  these  dis- 
guises, Harry  mounted  his  horse,  with  Jacob  seated  be- 
hind him  on  a  pillion,  while  Mike  rode  by  his  side. 
They  started  amid  the  good  wishes  of  the  farmer  and 
his  family,  who  were  favorable  to  the  Royalist  cause. 
Harry  had  cut  off  his  ringlets,  and  looked  the  character 
of  a  young  farmer  of  twenty-four  or  twenty-five  years  old 
well  enough,  while  Jacob  had  the  appearance  of  a  suita- 
ble wife  for  him.  Mike  was  to  pass  as  his  brother. 

In  the  course  of  the  first  day's  journey  they  met  sev- 
eral parties  of  Roundhead  horse,  who  plied  them  with 
questions  as  to  whether  they  had  seen  any  parties  of 
fugitives.  Making  a  detour,  they  rode  toward  Glouces- 
ter, not  intending  to  enter  that  town,  where  there  was 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  291 

a  Parliamentary  garrison,  but  to  cross  the  river  higher 
r?p.  They  stopped  for  the  night  at  a  wayside  inn,  where 
they  heard  much  talk  concerning  the  battle,  and  learned 
that  all  the  fords  were  guarded  to  prevent  fugitives 
crossing  into  Wales,  and  that  none  might  pass  who  could 
not  give  a  good  account  of  themselves.  They  heard, 
too,  that  on  the  evening  before  a  proclamation  had 
been  made  at  Gloucester  and  other  towns  offering  a  re- 
ward of  a  thousand  pounds  for  the  capture  of  Charles, 
and  threatening  all  with  the  penalties  of  treason  who 
should  venture  to  aid  or  shelter  him;  a  systematic  watch 
was  being  set  on  all  the  roads. 

They  determined  to  ride  again  next  morning  toward 
Worcester,  and  to  remain  in  that  neighborhood  for  some 
days,  judging  that  less  inquiry  would  be  made  there 
than  elsewhere.  This  they  did,  but  journeyed  very 
slowly,  and  slept  a  mile  or  two  from  Worcester. 

Before  reaching  their  halting-place  they  took  off  a 
shoe  from  Mike's  horse,  and  with  a  nail  wounded  the 
frog  of  the  foot,  so  that  the  animal  walked  lame.  Under 
this  pretense  they  stopped  three  days,  feigning  great 
annoyance  at  the  delay.  They  found  now  that  orders 
had  been  issued  that  none  should  journey  on  the  roads 
save  those  who  had  passes,  and  these  had  to  be  shown 
before  entering  any  of  the  large  towns.  They  there- 
fore resolved  to  leave  their  horses,  and  to  proceed  on 
foot,  as  they  could  then  travel  by  byways  and  across  the 
country.  There  was  some  debate  as  to  the  best  guise  in 
which  to  travel,  but  it  was  presently  determined  to  go  as 
Egyptians,  as  the  gypsies  were  then  called.  Harry 
walked  into  Worcester,  and  there,  at  the  shop  of  a  dealer 
in  old  clothes,  procured  such  garments  as  were  needed, 
and  at  an  apothecary's  purchased  some  dyes  for  staining 
the  skin 

The  next  day,  telling  the  landlord   that  they  should 


292  FEIBNDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

leave  the  lame  horse  with  him  until  their  return,  they 
started  as  before,  Mike  walking  instead  of  riding.  They 
presently  left  the  main  road,  and  finding  a  convenient 
place  in  a  wood,  changed  their  attire.  Harry  and  Mike- 
were  dressed  in  ragged  clothes,  with  bright  handker- 
chiefs round  their  necks,  and  others  round  their  heads. 
Jacob  still  retained  his  attire  as  a  woman,  with  a  tat- 
tered shawl  round  his  shoulders,  and  a  red  handkerchief 
over  his  head.  All  darkened  their  faces  and  hands. 
They  took  the  saddle  from  the  horse,  and  placed  the 
bundles,  containing  the  clothes  they  had  taken  off,  on 
his  back.  Mike  took  the  bridle,  Harry  and  Jacob  walked 
beside,  and  so  they  continued  for  some  miles  along  the 
lonely  roads,  until  they  came  to  a  farmhouse.  Here 
they  stopped.  The  farmer  came  out,  and  roughly  de- 
manded what  they  wanted.  Harry  replied  that  he 
wanted  to  sell  their  horse,  and  would  take  a  small  sum 
for  it. 

**I  doubt  me,"  the  farmer  said,  looking  at  it, '"that 
that  horse  was  not  honestly  come  by.  It  suits  not  your 
condition.  It  may  well  be,"  he  said,  "the  horse  of  some 
officer  who  was  slain  at  Worcester,  and  which  you  have 
found  roaming  in  the  country." 

"It  matters  not,"  Harry  said,  "where  I  got  it;  it  is 
mine  now,  and  may  be  yours  if  you  like  it,  cheap.  As 
you  say,  its  looks  agree  not  with  mine,  and  I  desire  not 
to  be  asked  questions.  If  you  will  give  me  that  donkey 
I  see  there,  and  three  pounds,  you  shall  have  him." 

The  offer  was  a  tempting  one,  but  the  farmer  beat 
them  down  a  pound  before  he  agreed  to  it.  Then  shift- 
ing their  bundles  to  the  donkey,  they  continuod  their 
way.  At  the  next  village  they  purchased  a  cooking-pot 
and  some  old  stuff  for  a  tent.  Cutting  some  sticks,  they 
encamped  that  night  on  some  wild  land  hard  by,  having 
purchased  provisions  for  their  supper.  Very  slowly  they 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVILED.  293 

traveled  south,  attractiDg  no  attention  >s  they  passed. 
Thoy  avoided  all  large  towns,  and  purchased  such  things 
as  they  needed  at  villages,  always  camping  out  on  com- 
mons and  waste  places.  They  could  hear  no  news  of  the 
king  at  any  of  their  halting-places.  That  he  had  not 
been  taken  was  certain;  also,  that  he  had  not  reached 
France,  or  the  news  of  his  coming  there  would  hava 
been  known.  It  was  generally  supposed  that  he  was  in 
hiding  somewhere  in  the  south,  hoping  to  find  an  oppor- 
tunity to  take  ship  to  France.  Everywhere  they  heard 
of  the  active  search  which  was  being  made  for  him,  and 
how  the  houses  of  all  suspected  to  be  favorable  to  him 
were  being  searched. 

Traveling  only  a  few  miles  a  day,  and  frequently  halt- 
ing for  two  or  three  days  together,  the  party  crossed  the 
Thames  above  Reading,  and  journeyed  west  into  Wilt- 
shire. So  they  went  on  until  they  reached  the  port  of 
Charmouth,  near  Lime  Regis.  Here,  as  in  all  the  sea- 
port towns,  were  many  soldiers  of  the  Parliament.  They 
did  not  enter  the  town,  but  encamped  a  short  distance 
outside,  Harry  alone  going  in  to  gather  the  news.  He 
found  that  numerous  rumors  concerning  the  king  were 
afloat.  It  was  asserted  that  he  had  been  seen  near  Bris- 
tol, and  failing  to  embark  there,  was  supposed  to  be 
making  his  way  east  along  the  coast,  in  hopes  of  finding 
a  ship.  The  troops  were  loud  in  their  expressions  of 
confidence  that  in  a  few  days,  if  not  m  a  few  hours,  he 
would  be  in  their  hands,  and  that  he  would  be  brought 
GO  the  scaffold,  as  his  father  had  been. 

Uneasy  at  the  news,  Harry  wandered  about  the  town, 
and  at  nightfall  entered  a  small  public  house  near  the 
port.  Calling  for  some  liquor,  he  sat  down,  and  listened 
co  the  talk  of  the  sailors.  Presently  these  left,  and  soon 
after  they  did  so  three  other  men  entered.  One  w'as 
dressed  as  a  farmer,  the  other  two  as  serving-men. 


294  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDER 

Harry  thought  that  he  noticed  a  glance  of  recognition 
pass  between  the  iarnier  and.  the  landlord,  and  as  the 
latter  placed  some  liquor  and  a  candle  on  the  table  be- 
fore the  newcomers,  Harry  recognized  in  the  farmer 
Colonel  Wyndham,  a  Royalist  with  whom  he  was  well 
acquainted.  He  now  looked  more  closely  at  the  two 
serving-men,  and  recognized  in  them  the  king  and  Lord 
Wilmot. 

He  sauntered  across  the  room  as  if  to  get  a  light  for 
his  pipe,  and  said,  in  low  tones: 

"Colonel  Wyndham,  I  am  Harry  Furness.  Is  there 
any  way  I  can  serve  his  majesty?" 

"AM  Colonel  Furness,  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  the 
king  said  heartily;  "though  if  you  are  hunted  as 
shrewdly  as  I  am,  your  state  is  a  perilous  one." 

"The  landlord  is  to  be  trusted,"  Colonel  Wyndham 
said.  "We  had  best  call  him  in.  He  said  nothing  be- 
fore you,  deeming  you  a  stranger." 

The  landlord  was  called  in,  and  told  Harry  was  a 
friend,  whereupon  he  barred  the  door  and  closed  the 
shutters,  as  if  for  the  night.  Then  turning  to  Colonel 
Wyndham,  whom  alone  he  knew,  he  said: 

"I  am  sorry  to  say  that  my  news  is  bad,  sir.  An  hour 
since  I  went  round  to  the  man  who  had  engaged  to  take 
you  across  to  St.  Malo,  but  his  wife  has  got  an  inkling 
of  his  intentions.  She  has  locked  him  into  his  room, 
and  swears  that  if  he  attempts  to  come  forth  she  will 
give  the  alarm  to  the  Parliament  troops;  for  that  she 
will  not  have  herself  and  her  children  sacrificed  by  med- 
dlings of  his  in  the  affairs  of  state." 


f&WNDS.  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ACROSS  THE  SEA. 

THE  announcement  of  the  innkeeper  struck  consterna- 
tion into  the  party. 

"This  is  bad  news  indeed,"  Colonel  Wyndham  said; 
"what  does  your  majesty  advise  now?" 

"I  know  not,  my  good  Wyndham,"  King  Charles  re- 
plied. "Methinks  'twere  better  that  I  should  give  my- 
self up  at  once.  Fate  seems  against  us,  and  I'm  only 
bringing  danger  on  all  my  friends." 

"Your  friends  are  ready  to  risk  the  danger,"  Colonel 
Wyndham  said;  "and  I  doubt  not  that  we  shall  finally 
place  your  majesty  in  safety.  I  think  we  had  best  try 
Bridport.  Unfortunately,  the  Roundheads  are  so  sure 
of  your  being  on  the  coast  that  it  is  well-nigh  impossi- 
ble to  procure  a  ship,  so  strict  is  the  search  of  all  who 
leave  port.  If  we  could  but  put  them  off  your  scent, 
and  lead  them  to  believe  that  you  have  given  it  up  in 
despair  here,  and  are  trying  again  to  reach  Scotland,  it 
might  throw  them  off  their  guard,  and  make  it  more 
easy  for  us  to  find  a  ship." 

"I  might  do  that,"  Harry  said.  "I  have  with  me  my 
comrade  Jacob,  who  is  about  the  king's  height  and 
stature.  I  will  travel  north  again,  and  will  in  some 
way  excite  suspicion  that  he  is  the  king.  The  news  that 
your  majesty  has  been  seen  traveling  there  will  throw 
them  off  your  track  here." 

"Bub   you  may  be  caught  yourself,"  the  king  said. 


£83  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"The  Earl  of  Derby  and  other  officers  have  been  exe- 
cuted. There  would  be  small  chancs  for  you  were  you 
fco  fall  into  their  hands/' 

"1  trust  that  I  shall  escape,  sire.  My  friend  Jacob  is 
as  cunning  as  a  fox,  and  will,  I  warrant  me,  throw  dust 
in  their  eyes.  And  how  has  it  fared  with  your  majesty 
since  I  left  you  at  White  Ladies?" 

"Faith,"  Charles  replied,  laughing,  "I  have  been  like 
a  rat  with  the  dogs  after  him.  The  next  night  after 
leaving  you  I  was  in  danger  from  a  rascally  miller,  who 
raised  an  alarm  because  we  refused  to  stay  at  his  bid- 
ding. Then  we  made  for  Moseley,  where  I  hoped  to 
cross  the  Severn.  The  Eoundheads  had  set  a  guard 
there,  and  Richard  Penderell  went  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Woolfe,  a  loyal  gentleman,  and  asked  him  for  shelter  for 
an  officer  from  Worcester.  Mr.  Woolfe  said  he  would 
risk  his  neck  for  none  save  the  king  himself.  Then 
Richard  told  him  who  I  was,  and  brought  me  in.  Mr. 
Woolfe  hid  me  in  the  barn  and  gave  me  provisions.  The 
neighborhood  was  dangerous,  for  the  search  was  hot 
thereabout,  and  I  determined  to  double  back  again  to 
White  Ladies',  that  I  might  hear  what  had  become  of 
Wilmot.  Richard  Penderell  guided  me  to  Boscabell,  a 
farmhouse  kept  by  his  brother  William.  Here  I  found 
Major  Careless  in  hiding.  The  search  was  hot,  and  we 
thought  of  hiding  in  a  wood  near,  but  William  advised 
that  as  this  might  be  searched  we  should  take  refuge  in 
an  oak  lying  apart  in  the  middle  of  the  plain. 

This  had  been  lopped  three  or  four  years  before  and 
had  grown  again  very  thick  and  bushy,  so  that  it  con  Id 
not  be  seen  through.  So,  early  in  the  morning,  Care- 
less and  I,  taking  provisions  for  t he  day,  climbed  up  it 
and  hid  there,  and  it  was  well  we  did  so,  for  in  the  day 
the  Roundheads  came  and  searched  the  wood  from  end 
to  end,  as  also  the  house.  But  they  did  not  think  of 


x     FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDES.  297 

the  tree.  The  next  two  days  [  lay  at  Boscaoell,  and 
learned  on  the  second  day  that  \Vilrnot  was  hiding  at  the 
house  of  Mr.  Whitgrave,  a  Catholic  gentleman  at  Mose- 
Jey,  where  he  begged  me  to  join  him.  That  night  I 
lode  thither.  The  six  Penderells,  for  there  were  that 
number  of  brothers,  rode  with  me  as  a  bodyguard.  I 
was  well  received  by  Mr.  Whitgrave,  who  furnished  me 
with  fresh  linen,  to  my  great  comfort,  for  that  which  I 
had  on  was  coarse,  and  galled  my  flesh  grievously,  and 
my  feet  were  so  sore  I  could  scarce  walk.  But  the 
Roundheads  were  all  about,  and  tke  search  hot,  and  it 
was  determined  that  I  should  leave.  This  time  I  was 
dressed  as  a  decent  serving  man,  and  Colonel  Lane's 
daughter  agreed  to  go  with  me.  I  was  to  pass  as  her 
serving  man,  taking  her  to  Bristol.  A  cousin  rode  with 
us  in  company.  Colonel  Lane  procured  us  a  pass,  and 
we  met  with  no  adventure  for  three  days.  A  smith  who 
shod  my  horse,  which  had  cast  a  shoe,  did  say  that  that 
rogue  Charles  Stuart  had  not  been  taken  yet,  and  that 
he  thought  he  ought  to  be  hanged.  I  thought  so  too, 
so  we  had  no  argument.  At  Bristol  we  could  find  no 
ship  in  which  I  could  embark,  and  after  some  time  I 
went  with  Miss  Lane  and  her  cousin  to  my  good  friend 
Colonel  Wyndham,  at  Trent  House.  After  much  trouble 
he  had  engaged  a  ship  to  take  me  hence,  and  now  this 
rascal  refuses  to  go,  or  rather  his  wife  refuses  for  him. 
And  now,  ray  friend,  we  will  at  once  make  for  Bridport, 
since  Colonel  Wyndham  hopes  to  find  a  ship  there.  I 
trust  we  may  meet  ere  long  in  France.  None  of  my 
friends  have  served  me  and  my  father  more  faithfully 
than  you.  It  would  seem  but  a  mockery  now  to  take 
knighthood  at  the  hands  of  Charles  Stuart,  but  it  will 
not  harm  thee." 

Taking  a  sword   from    Colonel   Wyndham,  the   king 
dubbed  Harry  knight.     Then  giving  his   hand  to  the 


298  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

landlord  to  kiss,  Charles,  accompanied  by  his  two  com 
panions,  left  the  inn. 

A  few  minutes  later  Harry  started  and  joined  his 
friends.  Jacob  agreed  at  once  to  the  proposal  to  throw 
the  Roundheads  off  King  Charles'  track.  The  next  day 
they  started  north,  and  traveled  through  Wiltshire  up 
into  Gloucestershire,  still  keeping  their  disguises  as 
gypsies.  There  they  left  their  donkey  with  a  peasant, 
telling  him  they  would  return  in  a  fortnight's  time  and 
claim  it.  In  a  wood  near  they  again  changed  their 
disguise,  hid  their  gypsy  dresses,  and  started  north  on 
foot.  In  the  evening  they  stopped  at  Fairford,  and 
took  up  their  abode  at  a  small  inn,  where  they  asked  for 
a  private  room.  They  soon  ascertained  that  the  land- 
lord was  a  follower  of  the  Parliament.  Going  toward 
the  room  into  which  they  were  shown,  Jacob  stumbled, 
and  swore  in  a  man's  voice,  which  caused  the  servant 
maid  who  was  conducting  them  to  start  and  look  sus- 
piciously at  him.  Supper  was  brought,  but  Harry 
noticed  that  the  landlord,  who  himself  brought  it  in. 
glanced  several  times  at  Jacob.  They  were  eating  their 
supper  when  they  heard  his  footstep  again  coming  along 
the  passage.  Harry  dropped  on  one  knee,  and  was  in 
the  act  of  handing  the  jug  in  that  attitude  to  Jacob, 
when  the  landlord  entered.  Harry  rose  hastily,  as  if  in 
confusion,  and  the  landlord,  setting  down  on  the  table  a 
dish  which  he  had  brought,  again  retired. 

"Throw  up  the  window,  Jacob,  and  listen,"  Harry 
said.  "We  must  not  be  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap." 

The  window  opened  into  a  garden,  and  Jacob,  listen- 
ing, could  hear  footsteps  as  of  men  running  in  the 
streets. 

"That  is  enough,  then,"  Harry  said.  "The  alarm  is 
given.  Now  let  us  be  off."  They  leaped  from  the  win- 
dow, and  they  were  soon  making  their  way  across  the 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  299 

country.  They  hail  not  been  gone  a  hundred  yards  be- 
fore they  heard  a  great  shouting,  and  knew  that  their 
departure  had  been  discovered.  They  had  not  walked 
far  that  day  and  now  pressed  forward  north.  They  had 
filled  their  pockets  with  the  remains  of  their  supper, 
and  after  walking  all  night,  left  the  road,  and  climbing 
into  a  haystack  at  a  short  distance,  ate  their  breakfast 
and  were  soon  fast  asleep. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  they  awoke.  Then 
they  walked  on  until,  after  darkness  fell,  they  entered 
a  small  village.  Here  they  went  into  a  shop  to  buy 
bread.  The  woman  looked  at  them  earnestly. 

"I  do  not  know  whether  it  concerns  you,"  she  said, 
"but  I  will  warn  you  that  this  morning  a  mounted  man 
from  Fairford  came  by  warning  all  to  seize  a  tall  coun- 
tryman with  a  young  fellow  and  a  woman  with  him,  for 
that  she  was  no  other  than  King  Charles." 

"Thanks,  my  good  woman,"  Jacob  said.  "Thanks 
for  your  warning.  I  do  not  say  that  I  am  he  you  name, 
but  whether  or  no,  the  king  shall  hear  some  day  of  your 
good-will." 

Traveling  on  again,  they  made  thirty  miles  that  night, 
and  again  slept  in  a  wood.  The  next  evening,  when 
they  entered  a  village  to  buy  food,  the  man  in  the  shop, 
after  looking  at  them,  suddenly  seized  Jacob,  and 
shouted  loudly  for  help.  Harry  stretched  him  on  the 
ground  with  a  hsavy  blow  of  the  stout  cudgel  he  carried. 
The  man's  shouts,  however,  had  called  up  some  of  his 
neighbors,  and  these  ran  up  as  they  issued  from  the 
shop,  and  tried  to  seize  them.  The  friends,  however, 
struck  out  lustily  with  their  sticks,  Jacob  carrying  one 
concealed  beneath  his  dress.  In  two  or  three  minutes 
they  had  fought  their  way  clear,  and  ran  at  full  speed 
through  the  village,  pursued  by  a  shouting  crowd  of 
rustics. 


300  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"Now,"  Harry  said,  "we  can  return  for  our  gypsy 
dresses,  and  then  make  for  the  east  coast.  We  have  put 
the  king's  enemies  off  the  scent.  I  trust  that  when  we 
may  get  across  the  water  we  may  hear  that  he  is  in  safety." 

They  made  a  long  detour,  traveling  only  at  night, 
llarry  entering  alone  after  dusk  the  villages  where  it 
was  necessary  to  buy  food.  When  they  regained  the 
wood  where  they  had  left  their  disguises  they  dressed 
themselves  again  as  gypsies,  called  for  the  donkey,  and 
then  journeyed  across  England  by  easy  stages  to  Col- 
chester,where  they  succeeded  in  taking  passage  in  a  lug- 
ger bound  for  Hamburg.  They  arrived  there  in  safety, 
and  found  to  their  great  joy  the  news  had  arrived  that 
the  king  had  landed  in  France. 

He  had,  they  afterward  found,  failed  to  obtain  a  ship 
at  Bridport,  where  when  he  arrived  he  here  found  a 
large  number  of  soldiers  about  to  cross  to  Jersey.  He 
returned  to  Trent  House,  and  a  ship  at  Southampton 
was  then  engaged.  But  this  was  afterward  taken  up  for 
the  carriage  of  troops.  A  week  later  a  ship  lying  at 
Shoreham  was  hired  to  carry  a  nobleman  and  his  servant 
to  France,  and  King  Charles,  with  his  friends,  made  his 
way  thither  in  safety.  The  captain  of  the  ship  at  once 
recognized  the  king,  but  remained  true  to  his  promise, 
and  landed  him  at  Fecamp  in  Normandy. 

Six  weeks  had  elapsed  since  the  battle  of  Worcester, 
and  during  that  time  the  king's  hiding-places  had  been 
known  to  no  less  than  forty-five  persons,  all  of  whom 
proved  faithful  to  the  trust,  and  it  was  owing  to  their 
prudence  and  caution  as  well  as  to  their  loyalty  that  the 
king  escaped,  in  spite  of  the  reward  offered  and  the  hot 
search  kept  up  everywhere  for  him. 

Harry  had  now  to  settle  upon  his  plans  for  the  future. 
There  was  no  hope  whatever  of  an  early  restoration. 
He  had  no  thought  of  hanging  about  the  king  whose 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  301 

ways  and  dissolute  associates  revolted  him.  It  was  open 
to  him  to  take  service,  as  so  many  of  his  companions  had 
done,  in  one  or  other  of  the  Continental  armies,  but 
Harry  had  hud  more  than  enough  of  fighting.  He-de- 
termined then  to  cross  the  ocean  to  the  plantations  of 
Virginia,  where  many  loyal  gentlemen  had  established 
themselves.  The  moneys  which  Colonel  Furness  had 
during  the  last  four  years  regularly  sent  across  to  a 
banker  at  the  Hague,  for  his  use,  were  lying  untouched, 
and  these  constituted  a  sum  amply  sufficient  for  estab- 
lishing himself  there.  Before  starting,  however,  he 
determined  that  if  possible  he  would  take  a  wife  with 
him.  Jn  all  his  wanderings  he  had  never  seen  any  one 
he  liked  so  much  as  his  old  playmate,  Lucy  RippinghalL 
It  was  nearly  four  years  since  he  had  seen  her,  and  she 
must  now  be  twenty-one.  Herbert,  he  knew  by  his 
father's  letters,  had  left'the  army  at  the  end  of  the  first 
civil  war,  and  was  carrying  on  his  father's  business,  the 
wool-stapler  having  been  killed  at  Marston  Moor.  Harry 
wrote  to  the  colonel,  telling  him  of  his  intention  to  go  to 
Virginia  and  settle  there  until  either  Cromwell's  death, 
and  the  dying  out  of  old  animosities,  or  the  restoration 
of  the  king  permitted  him  to  return  to  England,  and 
also  that  he  was  writing  to  ask  Lucy  Rippinghall  to 
accompany  him  as  his  wife.  He  told  his  father  that  he 
was  well  aware  that  he  would  not  have  regarded  such  a 
match  as  suitable  had  he  been  living  at  home  with  him 
at  Furness  Hall,  but  that  any  inequality  of  birth  would 
matter  no  whit  in  the  plantations  of  Virginia,  and  that 
such  a  match  would  greatly  promote  his  happiness  there. 
By  the  same  mail  he  wrote  to  Herbert  Rippinghall. 

"My  DEAR  HERBERT:  The  bonds  of  affection  which 
held  us  together  when  boys  are  in  no  way  slackened  in 
their  hold  upon  me,  and  you  showed,  when  we  last  met, 
that  you  loyed  me  in  no  way  less  than  of  old.  I  purpose 


303  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

sailing  to  Virginia  with  snob  store  of  money  as  would 
purchase  a  plantation  there,  and  there  I  mean  to  settle 
down  until  such  times  as  these  divisions  in  England  may 
be  all  passed.  But  I  would  fain  not  go  alone.  As  a  boy 
I  loved  your  sister  Lucy,  and  I  have  seen  none  to  take 
the  place  of  her  image  in  my  heart.  She  is,  I  know, 
still  unmarried,  but  I  know  not  whether  she  has  any 
regard  for  me.  I  do  beseech  you  to  sound  her,  and  if 
she  be  willing  to  give  her  to  me.  I  hear  that  you  are 
well  married,  and  can  therefore  the  better  spare  her. 
If  she  be  willing  to  take  me,  I  will  be  a  good  husband  to 
her,  and  trust  some  day  or  other  to  bring  her  back  to  be 
lady  of  Furness  Hall.  Although  I  know  that  she  will 
care  little  for  such  things,  I  may  say  that  she  would  be 
Lady  Lucy,  since  the  king  has  been  pleased  to  make  me 
Sir  Harry  Furness.  Should  the  dear  girl  be  willing, 
will  you,  since  I  cannot  come  to  you,  bring  her  hither  to 
me.  I  have  written  to  my  father,  and  have  told  him 
what  I  purpose  to  do.  Trusting  that  this  will  find  you 
as  well  disposed  toward  me  as  ever,  I  remain,  your  affec- 
tionate friend,  HARRY  FURNESS." 

This  letter,  together  with  that  to  his  father,  Harry 
gave  to  Mike.  The  post  in  those  days  was  extremely 
irregular,  and  none  confided  letters  of  importance  to  it 
which  could  possibly  be  sent  by  hand.  Such  a  com- 
munication as  that  to  Herbert  Rippingball  was  not  one 
which  Harry  cared  to  trust  to  the  post.  Mike  had  never 
been  at  Abingdon,  and  would  therefore  be  unknown 
there.  Nor,  indeed,  unless  they  were  taken  prisoners 
in  battle  or  in  the  first  hot  pursuit,  were  any  of  lower 
degree  meddled  with  after  their  return  to  their  homes, 
There  was  therefore  no  fear  whatever  of  molestation. 
At  this  time  Jacob  was  far  from  well.  The  fatigues 
which  he  had  undergone  since  the  king  broke  up  his 
camp  at  Stirling  had  been  immense.  Prolonged 
marches,  great  anxiety,  sleeping  on  wet  ground,  being 
frequently  soaked  to  the  skin  by  heavy  rains,  all  these 
things  had  told  upon  him,  and  now  that  the  necessity 


FRIENDS,  THOVGH  DIVIDED,  303 

for  exertion  was  over,  a  sort  of  low  fever  seized  him,  and 
he  was  forced  to  take  to  his  bed.  The  leech  whom 
Harry  called  in  told  him  that  Jacob  needed  rest  and  care 
more  than  medicine.  He  gave  him,  however,  cooling 
drinks,  and  said  that  when  the  fever  passed  he  would 
need  strengthening  food  and  medicine. 

Hamburg  was  at  that  time  the  resort  of  many  desper- 
ate men  from  England,  After  Worcester,  as  after  the 
crushing  out  of  the  first  civil  war,  those  too  deeply  com- 
mitted to  return  to  their  homes  sought  refuge  here. 
But  though  all  professed  to  be  Cavaliers,  who  were 
suffering  only  from  their  loyalty  to  the  crown,  a  great 
many  of  them  were  men  who  had  no  just  claim  to  so 
honorable  a  position.  There  were  many  who  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  times  in  England  to  satisfy  private 
enmities  or  to  gratify  evil  passions.  Although  the 
courts  of  law  sat  during  the  whole  of  the  civil  war,  and 
the  judges  made  their  circuits,  there  was  necessarily  ft» 
more  crime  than  in  ordinary  times.  Thus  many  of  those 
who  betook  themselves  to  Hamburg  and  other  seaport? 
on  the  continent  had  made  England  too  hot  for  them  by 
crimes  of  violence  and  dishonesty. 

The  evening  after  Mike  sailed  Harry,  who  had  been 
sitting  during  the  afternoon  chatting  by  Jacob's  bedside., 
went  out  to  take  the  air.  He  strolled  along  the  wharves, 
near  which  were  the  drinking-houses,  whence  came  sounds 
of  singing,  dancing,  and  revelry,  mingled  occasionally 
with  shouts  and  the  clash  of  steel,  as  quarrels  arose  among 
the  sailors  and  others  frequenting  them.  Never  having 
seen  one  of  these  places,  Harry  strolled  into  one  which 
appeared  of  a  somewhat  better  class  than  the  rest.  Af 
one  end  was  a  sort  of  raised  platform,  upon  which  were 
two  men,  with  fiddles,  who,  from  time  to  time,  played 
lively  airs,  to  which  those  at  the  tables  kept  time  by 
stamping  their  feet.  Sometimes  men  or  women  came  on 


304  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

to  the  platform  and  sang.  The  occupants  of  the  body 
of  the  hall  were  mostly  sailors,  but  among  whom  were  a 
considerable  number  of  men,  who  seemed  by  their  garb 
fco  be  broken-down  soldiers  and  adventurers. 

Harry  took  h;s  seat  by  the  door,  called  for  a  glass  of 
wine  and  drank  it,  and,  having  soon  seen  enough  of  the 
nature  of  the  entertainment,  was  about  to  leave,  when 
his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  young  girl  who  took  her 
place  on  the  platform.  She  was  evidently  a  gypsy,  for 
at  this  time  these  people  were  the  minstrels  of  Europe. 
It  would  have  been  considered  shameful  for  any  other 
woman  to  sing  publicly.  Two  or  three  of  these  women 
had  already  sung,  and  Harry  had  been  disgusted  with 
their  hard  voices  and  bold  looks.  But  he  saw  that  the 
one  who  now  took  her  place  on  the  platform  was  of  a 
different  nature.  She  advanced  nervously,  and  as  if 
quite  strange  to  such  a  scene,  and  touched  her  guitar 
with  trembling  fingers.  Then  she  began  to  sing  a  Span- 
ish romance  in  a  sweet,  pure  voice.  There  was  a  good 
deal  of  applause  when  it  finished,  for  even  the  rough 
sailors  could  appreciate  the  softness  and  beauty  of  the 
melody.  Then  a  half-drunken  man  shouted,  "Give  ns 
something  lively.  Sing  'May  the  Devil  fly  on*  with  Old 
Noll.'" 

The  proposal  was  received  with  a  shout  of  approval  by 
many,  but  some  of  the  sailors  cried  out,  "No,  no  No 
politics.  We  won't  hear  Cromwell  insulted." 

This  only  led  to  louder  and  more  angry  shouts  on  the 
part  of  the  others,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  room  men  rose 
to  their  feet,  gesticulating  and  shouting.  The  girl,  who 
evidently  did  not  understand  a  word  that  was  said,  stood 
looking  with  affright  at  the  tumult  which  had  so  sud- 
denly risen.  In  a  minute  swords  were  drawn.  The 
foreign  sailors,  in  ignorance  of  the  cause  of  dispute, 
drew  their  knives,  and  stood  by  the  side  of  those  from 


FRIENDS,  3TAV  Vf*#  DIVIDED. 

the  English  ships,  while  the  for^n  soldiers  seemed  ready 
to  make  common  cause  with  the  Knglish  who  had  com- 
menced  the  disturbance.  Two  or  three  of  the  latter 
leaped  upon  the  platform  to  inshC  upon  their  wishes 
being  carried  out.  The  girl,  with  ^  iittle  scream,  re- 
treated into  a  corner.  Harry,  indignrvtti;  at  the  conduct 
to  his  countrymen,,  had  drawn  his  sw-orcv,  and  made  hi? 
way  quietly  toward  the  end  of  the  hn*t  and  he  now 
sprang  upon  the  platform. 

"Stand  back,"  he  shouted  angrily.  "I'?:  %pit  the  first 
man  who  advances  a  step." 

"And  who  are  you,  sir,  who  ventures  to  tb,n«t  yourseil 
into  a  quarrel,  and  to  interfere  with  English  g*v\tlemen??; 

"English  gentlemen,"  Harry  fiaid  hitterly.  **Gcd  help 
England  if  you  are  specimens  pf  her  gentlemen/'* 

"S'death!"  exclaimed  one.  "I*un  the  sifiBtidrel 
through,  Ealph." 

In  a  moment  Harry  slashed  open  the  cheek  <rf  one, 
and  ran  the  other  through  the  arm.  By  this  time  the 
fray  had  become  general  in  the  hall.  Benches  wore 
broken  up,  swords  and  knives  were  used  freely.  Just  ?»« 
the  matter  began  to  grow  serious  there  was  a  cry  of  "TV* 
watch!"  and  a  strong  armed  guard  entered  the  hall. 

There  was  an  instant  cessation  of  hostilities,  and  thei- 
both  parties  uniting,  rushed  upon  the  watch,  and  by  gheei 
weight  bore  them  back  out  of  the  place.  Harry  looked 
round,  and  saw  that  the  girl  had  fled  by  a  door  at  tbf 
back  of  the  platform.  Seeing  that  a  fight  was  going  or 
round  the  door,  and  desiring  to  escape  from  the  broil 
he  went  out  by  the  door  she  had  taken,  followed  a  pat» 
sage  for  some  distance,  went  down  a  dimly-lightec 
stair,  and  issued  through  a  door  into  the  air.  He  fount 
himself  in  a  foul  and  narrow  lane.  It  was  entirely  ni\ 
lighted,  and  Harry  made  his  way  with  difficulty  along, 
stumbling  into  holes  in  the  pavement,  and  over  neaps  oi 
rubbish  of  all  kinds 


^06  ffRIEND8>  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

:il  have  got  into  a  nice  quarter  of  the  town,"  he  mut- 
tered to  himself.  "I  have  heard  there  are  places  in  Ham- 
burg, the  resort  of  thieves  and  scoundrels  of  the  worst, 
kind,  and  where  even  the  watch  dare  not  penetrate. 
Methinks  that  this  must  be  one  them." 

He  groped  his  way  along  till  he  came  to  the  end  of 
fche  lane.  Here  a  dim  light  was  burning.  Three  or  four 
fcther  lanes,  in  appearance  as  forbidding  as  that  up  which 
he  had  come,  met  at  this  spot.  Several  men  were  stand- 
ing about.  Harry  paused  for  a  moment,  wondering 
whether  he  had  better  take  the  first  turning  at  random, 
M-  invite  attention  by  asking  his  way.  He  determined  that 
the  former  was  the  least  dangerous  alternative,  and  turned 
down  the  lane  to  his  right.  He  had  not  gone  ten  steps 
when  a  woman  came  up  to  him  from  behind. 

"Are  you  not  the  gentleman  who  drew  a  sword  to  save 
me  from  insult?"  she  asked  in  French. 

Harry  understood  enough  of  the  language  to  make  out 
what  she  said. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "if  you  are  the  singer." 

"Good  heavens!  sir,  what  misfortune  has  brought  you 
fiere?  I  recognized  your  face  in  the  light.  Your  life, 
*ir,  is  in  the  greatest  danger.  There  are  men  here  who 
yould  murder  you  for  the  sake  of  a  gold  piece,  and  that 
jewel  which  fastens  your  plume  must  have  caught;  their 
syes.  Follow  me,  sir,  quickly." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  -507 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

A     PLOT    OVERHBAKD 

As  the  gypsy  ended  her  warning  she  sprang  forward, 
saying,  "Follow  me,  for  your  life,  sir."  Harry  did  not 
hesitate.  He  heard  several  footsteps  coming  down  the 
lane,  and  drawing  his  sword  he  followed  his  guide  at  a 
run.  As  he  did  so  there  was  a  shout  among  the  men 
behind  him  and  these  set  off  in  hot  pursuit.  Harry 
kept  close  to  the  girl,  who  turned  down  another  lane  even 
more  narrow  than  that  they  were  leaving.  A  few  paces 
further  she  stopped,  opened  a  door  and  entered.  Harry 
followed  her  in  and  she  closed  the  door  behind  her. 

"Hush!"  she  whispered.  "There  are  men  here  as  bad 
as  those  without.  Take  off  your  shoes." 

Harry  did  as  directed.  He  was  in  pitch  darkness. 
Taking  him  by  the  hand,  the  girl  led  him  forward  for 
some  distance. 

"There  is  a  staircase  here,"  she  whispered. 

Still  holding  his  hand,  she  began  to  mount  the  stairs. 
As  they  passed  each  landing  Harry  heard  the  voices  of 
men  in  the  rooms  on  either  side.  At  last  they  arrived 
at  the  top  of  the  house.  Here  she  opened  a  door,  and 
led  Harry  into  a  room. 

"Are  you  here,  mother?"  she  asked. 

There  was  no  answer.  The  girl  uttered  an  exclamation 
of  thankfulness;  then,  after  groping  about,  she  found 
a  tinder-box,  and  struck  a  light. 

"You  are  safe  here  for  the  present.     This  is  my  room, 


303  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED, 

where  I  live  with  my  mother.  ''At  least/' she  sighed, 
f*s4ie  calls  herself  my  mother,  and  is  the  only  one  I  have 
known." 

"Is  it  possible/5  Harry  asked  in  surprise,  "that  one 
(ike  yourself  can  live  in  such  an  abode  as  this?" 

"I  am  safe  here,"  she  answered.  "There  are  five  men 
of  my  tribe  in  the  next  room,  and  fierce  and  brutal  as  are 
the  men  of  these  courts,  none  of  them  would  care  to 
quarrel  with  the  gypsies.  But  now  I  have  got  you  here, 
how  am  I  to  get  you  away?" 

"If  the  gypsies  are  so  feared,  I  might  go  out  with 
them,"  Harry  said. 

s*Alas!"  the  girl  answered,  "they  are  as  bad  as  the 
others.  And  even  if  they  were  disposed  to  aid  yon  for  the 
kindness  you  have  shown  me,  I  doubt  if  they  could  do  so. 
Assuredly  they  would  not  run  the  risk  of  thwarting  the 
cutthroats  here  for  the  sake  of  saving  you." 

"Could  you  go  and  tell  the  watch?"  Harry  asked. 

"The  watch  never  comes  here,"  the  girl  replied,  shak- 
ing her  head.  "Were  they  to  venture  up  these  lanes  it 
would  be  like  entering  a  hive  of  bees.  This  is  an  Alsatia 
—a  safe  refuge  for  assassins  and  robbers." 

"I  have  got  myself  into  a  nice  mess,"  Harry  said.  "It 
seems  to  me  I  had  better  sally  out  and  take  my  chance." 

•'Look,"  the  girl  said,  going  to  the  window  and  open- 
ing  it. 

Peering  out,  Harry  saw  below  a  number  of  men  with 
3\vords  and  knives  drawn.  One  or  two  had  torches,  and 
v,hey  were  examining  every  doorway  and  court,  Outside 
*;he  window  ran  a  parapet. 

"They  will  search  like  hounds,"  the  girl  continued, 
*6They  must  know  that  you  have  not  gone  far.  If  they 
tforne.here  you  must  take  to  the  parapet,  and  go  some 
distance  along.  Now,  I  must  try  and  find  some  disguise 
for  you." 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  an  old  woman 
entered.  She  uttered  an  exclamation  of  astonishment 
at  seeing  Harry,  and  turning  angrily  to  the  girl,  spoke 
to  her  in  the  gypsy  dialect.  For  two  or  three  minutes 
the  conversation  continued  in  that  language;  then  the 
old  woman  turned  to  Harry,  and  said  in  English: 

"My  daughter  tells  me  that  you  have  got  into  a  broi! 
on  her  behalf.  There  are  few  gentlemen  who  draw 
sword  for  a  gypsy.  I  will  do  my  best  to  aid  yon,  but  it 
will  be  difficult  to  get  a  gallant  like  yourself  out  of  this 
place."  • 

Her  eye  fell  covetously  upon  the  jewel  in  Harry's  hat, 
He  noticed  the  glance. 

"Thanks,  dame,"  he  said;  "I  will  gladly  repay  your 
services.  Will  you  accept  this  token?"  And  removing 
the  jewel  from  the  hat,  he  offered  it  to  her. 

The  girl  uttered  an  angry  exclamation  as  the  old 
woman  seized  it,  and  after  examining  it  by  the  candle 
light,  placed  it  in  a  small  iron  coffer.  Harry  felt  he  had 
done  wisely,  for  the  old  woman's  face  bore  a  muc^ 
warmer  expression  of  good-will  than  had  before  charac- 
terized it. 

"You  cannot  leave  now,"  she  said.  "I  heard  as  I 
came  along  that  a  well-dressed  gallant  had  been  seen  in 
the  lanes,  and  every  one's  mouth  is  on  water.  They  said 
that  they  thought  he  had  some  woman  with  him,  but  I 
did  not  dream  it  was  Zita.  You  cannot  leave  to-night; 
to-morrow  I  will  get  you  some  clothes  of  my  son's,  and 
in  these  yon  should  be  able  to  escape  without  detection/' 

Very  slowly  the  hours  passed.  The  women  at  times 
talked  together  in  Bomaic,  while  Harry,  who  had  posses- 
sion of  the  only  chair  in  the  room,  several  times  nodded 
off  to  sleep-  In  the  morning  there  was  a  movement 
heard  in  the  next  room,  and  the  old  woman  went  in 
there 


,  T*  Orrazr  ~ ,VIDED. 

* 'Surely  that  woman  caii  iot  be  your  mother?"  Harry 
aaid  to  the  girl. 

"She  is  not,"  she  answered.  "1  believe  that  I  was 
stolen  as  a  child;  indeed,  they  have  owned  as  much.  But 
what  can  I  do?  I  am  one  of  them.  What  can  a  gypsy 
do?  We  are  good  for  nothing  but  to  sing  and  to  steal." 

"If  I  get  free  from  this  scrape,"  Harry  said,  "you 
may  be  sure  that  shall  not  be  ungrateful,  and  if  you  long 
to  leave  this  life,  I  can  secure  you  a  quiet  home  in  Eng- 
land with  my  father." 

The  girl  clasped  her  hands  in  delight. 

"Oh,  that  would  be  too  good!"  she  exclaimed.  "Too 
good;  but  I  fear  it  can  never  be." 

She  put  her  fingers  to  her  lips,  as  the  door  again 
opened.  The  old  woman  entered,  carrying  some  clothes, 

"Here,"  she  said;  "they  have  gone  out;  put  these  on. 
Xita  and  I  will  go  out  and  see  if  the  coast  is  clear." 

Harry,  smiling  to  himself  at  the  singularity  of  his  hav- 
ing twice  to  disguise  himself  as  a  gypsy,  rapidly  changed 
•his  clothes.  Presently  the  old  woman  returned. 

"Quick,"  she  exclaimed;  "I  hear  that  the  news  of  the 
riot  in  the  drinking-house  has  got  about  this  morning, 
and  it  is  known  that  an  Englishman,  something  like 
the  one  seen  in  the  lanes,  took  Zita's  part,  and  there  are 
suspicions  that  it  was  she  who  acted  as  his  guide.  They 
have  been  roughly  questioning  us.  I  told  her  to  go  on 
to  avoid  suspicion,  while  I  ran  back.  You  cannot  stir 
out  now,  and  I  heard  a  talk  of  searching  our  rooms, 
Come,  then,  we  may  find  a  room  unoccupied  below;  you 
must  take  refuge  there  for  the  present." 

Harry  still  retained  his  sword,  incongruous  as  it  was 
"with  his  attire,  but  he  had  determined  to  hide  it  under 
his  clothes,  so  that,  if  detected,  he  might  be  able  at  least 
to  sell  his  life.  Taking  it  in  his  hand,  he  followed  the 
old  woman  downstairs.  She  listened  at  each  door,  and 
continued  downward  until  she  reached  the  first  floor. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  3H 

':I  can   hear  no  one  here/' she  said,  listening  at  a 
door.     "Go  up  a  few  steps;  I  will  knock.     If  any  one  is 
there  I  can  make  some  excuse." 

She  knocked,  but  there  was  no  answer.  Then  she 
drew  from  her  pocket  a  piece  of  bent  wire,  and  inserted 
it  in  the  keyhole. 

"We  gypsies  can  enter  where  we  will,"  she  said,  beck- 
oning Harry  to  enter  as  the  door  opened.  "Wait  quiet 
here  till  I  come  for  you.  The  road  will  be  clear  then." 
So  saying,  she  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  again 
shot  the  bolt. 

Harry  felt  extremely  uncomfortable.  Should  the 
owner  of  the  room  return,  he  would  be  taken  for  a 
thief,  although,  as  he  thought,  looking  round  the  room, 
there  was  little  enough  to  steal.  It  was  a  large  room, 
with  several  truckle  beds  standing  against  the  walls.  In 
the  center  was  a  table,  upon  which  were  some  mugs, 
horns,  and  empty  bottles,  with  some  dirty  cards  scat- 
tered about.  The  place  smelled  strongly  of  tobacco,  and 
benches  lying  on  the  ground  showed  that  the  party  of 
the  night  before  had  ended  in  a  broil,  further  evidence 
to  which  was  given  by  stains  of  blood  on  one  of  the  beds, 
and  by  a  rag  saturated  with  blood,  which  lay  beside  it.  ' 
At  one  side  of  the  room  was  a  door,  giving  communica- 
tion into  the  next  apartment.  Scarcely  had  Harry 
entered  when  he  heard  voices  there,  and  was  surprised 
to  find  that  the  speakers  were  English. 

"I  tell  you  I'm  sick  of  this,"  one  of  the  speakers  said. 
"I  might  be  as  well  hanged  at  home  as  starved  here." 

"You  might  enlist,"  another  voice  said,  in  sneering 
tones.  "Gallant  soldiers  are  welcome  in  the  Low 
€oun  tries." 

"You'd  best  keep  your  sneering  tongue  between  your 
lips,"  the  other  said  angrily.  "If  I  don't  care  for 
fighting  in  the  field,  I  can  use  a  knife  at  a  pinch,  as  you 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

know  full  well.  You  will  carry  your  gibes  too  far  with 
me  some  day.  No,"  he  went  on  more  calmly,  after  a 
pause,  "I  shall  go  back  to  England  next  week,  after 
Marmaduke  Harris  and  his  gang  have  finished  Oliver. 
The  country  will  be  turned  so  topsy-turvy  that  there 
will  be  no  nice  inquiry  into  bygones,  and  at  any  rate  I 
can  keep  out  of  London." 

"Yes,  it  will  be  wise  to  do  that,"  the  other  said, 
"since  that  little  affair  when  the  mercer  and  his  wife  in 
Cheap  were  found  with  their  throats  cut,  and  you " 

"Fire  and  furies!  John  Marlow,  do  you  want  three 
inches  of  steel  in  your  ribs?" 

"By  no  means!"  the  other  answered.  "You  have  be- 
come marveleusly  straightlaced  all  at  once.  As  you 
know,  I  have  been  concerned  in  as  many  affairs  as  you 
have.  Aha!  I  have  had  a  merry  time  of  itl" 

"And  may  again,"  the  other  said.  "Noll  once  dead, 
there  will  be  good  times  for  us  again.  It  is  a  pity  that 
you  and  I  were  too  well  known  to  have  a  hand  in  the 
job.  Dost  think  there  is  any  chance  of  a  failure?" 

"None,"  the  other  replied.  "It  is  in  good  hands. 
Black  Harry  has  bribed  a  cook  wench,  who  will  open  the 
back  door.  They  say  he  was  to  return  to  London  this 
week,  and  if  so  Sunday  is  fixed  for  the  affair.  Five  days 
yet,  and  say  another  week  for  the  news  to  get  here.  In 
a  fortnight  we  will  be  on  our  way  to  England.  There,  I 
am  thirsty,  and  we  left  the  bottle  in  the  next  room.  We 
had  a  late  night  of  it  with  the  boys  there." 

During  this  conversation,  to  which  Harry  listened 
breathlessly,  he  had  heard  the  tramp  of  feet  going  up- 
stairs, and  just  as  they  finished  speaking  these  had  de- 
scended again.  A  moment  later  the  door  between  the 
two  rooms  opened,  and  a  man  in  the  faded  finery  of  a 
Boyalist  gentleman  entered. 

"Fires  and  furies!"  he  exclaimed.     "Whom  have  we 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  313 

here?  Marlow,  here  is  an  eavesdropper  or  a  thief.  We 
•will  slit  his  weasand.  Aha!"  he  said,  gazing  fixedly  at 
Harry,  "you  are  Colonel  Furness.  I  know  you.  You 
had  me  flogged  the  day  before  Worcester,  for  helping 
myself  to  an  old  woman's  purse.  It  is  my  turn  now." 

Joined  by  his  fellow  ruffian  he  fell  upon  Harry,  but 
they  were  nc  match  for  the  Royalist  colonel.  After  a 
few  rapid  thrusts  and  parries  he  ran  his  first  assailant 
through  the  body  and  cut  down  the  man  called  Marlow, 
with  a  sweeping  blow  which  nearly  cleft  his  head  asunder. 

Scarcely  was  the  conflict  ended  when  the  door  opened, 
and  the  old  gypsy  entered.  She  started  at  seeing  the 
bodies  of  the  two  ruffians. 

"I  have  been  attacked,"  Harry  said  briefly,  "and  have 
defended  myself." 

"It  is  no  business  of  mine,"  the  old  woman  remarked. 
"When  I  have  guided  you  out  I  will  come  back  again. 
It's  strange  if  there's  not  something  worth  picking  up. 
Now,  pull  your  hat  well  over  your  eyes  and  follow  me." 

Closing  and  locking  the  door  again,  she  led  the  way 
downstairs. 

"Do  not  walk  so  straight  and  stiff,"  she  said. 
"Slouch  your  shoulders,  and  stoop  your  head.  Now." 

Harry  sallied  out  into  the  lane,  keeping  by  the  side  of 
his  guide,  with  his  head  bent  forward,  and  his  eyes  on 
the  ground,  walking,  as  far  as  he  could,  with  a  listless 
gait.  The  old  woman  continued  to  chatter  to  him  in 
Romaic.  There  were  many  people  about  in  the  lane, 
but  none  paid  any  heed  to  them.  Harry  did  not  look 
up,  but  turned  with  his  guide  down  several  lanes,  until 
they  at  length  emerged  on  the  quays.  Saying  she  would 
call  next  day  at  his  hotel  for  the  reward  he  had  promised 
her,  she  left  him,  and  Harry,  with  his  head  full  of  the 
plot  against  Cromwell's  life,  crossed  at  once  to  the  ves- 
sels by  the  quay. 


314  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

"Is  any  ship  sailing  for  the  Thames  to-day?"  he  asked, 

"Yes,"  the  sailor  said.  "The  Mary  Anne  is  just  hoist- 
ing her  anchor  now,  out  there  in  midstream.  You  will 
be  but  just  in  time,  for  the  anchor's  under  her  foot." 

.Harry  sprang  into  a  boat  and  told  the  waterman  to 
row  to  the  ship.  The  latter  stared  in  astonishment  at 
the  authoritative  manner  in  which  this  gypsy  addressed 
him,  but  Harry  thrust  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and 
showed  him  some  silver. 

"Quick,  man,"  he  said,  "for  she  is  moving.  You  will 
have  double  fare  to  put  me  on  board." 

The  man  pulled  vigorously,  and  they  were  soon  along- 
side the  brig. 

"Halloo!  what  now?"  the  captain  said,  looking  over 
the  side. 

"I  want  a  passage  to  England,  and  will  pay  you  your 
own  price." 

"You  havn't  been  killing  any  one,  have  you?"  the  cap- 
tain asked.  "I  don't  want  to  have  trouble  when  I  come 
back  here,  for  carrying  off  malefactors." 

"No,  indeed,"  Harry  said,  as  he  lightly  leaped  on  the 
deck.  "I  am  Sir  Harry  Furness,  though  I  may  not  look 
it,  and  am  bound  to  England  on  urgent  business.  It  is 
all  right,  my  good  fellow,  and  here  is  earnest  money  for 
rny  passage,"  and  he  placed  two  pieces  of  gold  in  the 
captain's  hand. 

"That  will  do,"  the  captain  said.     "I  will  take  you." 

Harry  went  to  the  side. 

"Here,  my  man,  is  your  money,  and  a  crown  piece 
beside.  Go  to  the  Hotel!  des  Etoiles  and  ask  for  the 
English  officer  who  is  there  lying  sick.  Tell  him  Colonel 
Furness  has  been  forced  to  leave  for  England  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice,  but  will  be  back  by  the  first  ship." 

The  man  nodded,  and  rowed  back  to  shore  as  the 
Mary  Anne,  with  her  sails  hoisted,  ran  down  the  river. 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  311 

Never  did  a  voyage  appear  longer  to  an  anxious  pas 
33iiger  than  did  that  of  the  Mary  Anne  to  England. 
The  winds  were  light  and  baffling,  and  at  times  the  Mar;/ 
Anne  scarce  moved  through  the  water.  Harry  had  ni 
love  for  Cromwell.  Upon  the  contrary,  he  regarded 
him  as  the  deadliest  enemy  of  the  king,  and  moreover 
personally  hated  him  for  the  cruel  massacre  of  Drog- 
heda.  In  battle  he  would  have  gladly  slain  him,  but  hq 
vvas  determined  to  save  him  from  assassination.  He  fell 
the  man  to  be  a  great  Englishman,  and  knew  that  it  wai 
greatly  due  to  his  counsels  that  so  little  English  bloo'l 
had  been  shed  upon  the  scaffold.  Most  of  all,  hi 
thought  that  his  assassination  would  injure  the  roya) 
cause.  The  time  was  not  yet  ripe  for  a  restoration, 
England  had  shown  but  lately  that  there  existed  no  en- 
thusiasm for  the  royal  cause.  At  Cromwell's  death  thi 
chief  power  would  fall  into  the  hands  of  fanatics  mon 
dangerous  and  more  violent  than  he.  His  murder  wou!4 
be  used  as  a  weapon  for  a  wholesale  persecution  of  tht 
Royalists  throughout  the  land,  and  would  create  such  f 
prejudice  against  them  that  the  inevitable  reaction  ifl 
favor  of  royalty  would  be  retarded  for  years.  Full  ol 
these  thoughts,  Harry  fretted  and  fumed  over  the  slo^f 
progress  of  the  Mary  Anne.  Late  on  Saturday  night 
she  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Thames,  and  anchored  until 
the  tide  turned.  Before  daybreak  she  was  on  her  way, 
and  bore  up  on  the  tide  as  far  as  Gravesend,  when  shi 
had  again  to  anchor.  Harry  obtained  a  boat  and  wai 
rowed  to  shore.  In  his  present  appearance,  he  did  nol 
like  to  go  to  one  of  the  principal  inns  for  a  horse,  but 
entering  a  small  one  on  the  outskirts  of  the  place,  aske'7 
the  landlord  if  he  could  procure  him  a  horse. 

"I  am  not  what  I  seem,"  he  said,  in  answer  to  his 
host's  look  of  surprise.  "But  I  have  urgent  need  to  gef 
to  London  this  evening.  I  will  pay  well  for  the  hors* 


318  FRIENDS,  THO  m#  .  ^  YIDED. 

and  will  leave  this  ring  with  you  AA  *  guarantee  for  his 
safe  return." 

"I  have  not  a  horse  myself,"  the  Iwudlord  said,  with 
more  respect  than  he  had  at  first  BLoitu;  "but  I  might 
get  one  from  my  neighbor  Harry  Fletcbor,  the  butcher. 
Are  you  willing  to  pay  a  guinea  for  his  use?  Fletcher 
will  drive  you  himself." 

Harry  agreed  to  the  sum,  and  a  qua?*  *r  of  an  hour 
later  the  man,  with  a  light  horse  and  cart^  came  to  the 
door. 

"You  are  a  strange-looking  carle,"  he  oaid,  "to  be 
riding  on  a  Sunday  in  haste;  I  scarce  lik*  being  seen 
with  thee." 

"I  have  landed  but  an  hour  ago,"  Harry  said,  "and 
can  buy  no  clothes  to-day;  but  if  you  or  mine  host  here, 
who  is  nearer  my  size,  have  a  decent  suit  which  you  can 
sell  me,  I  will  pay  you  double  the  sum  it  cost." 

The  landlord  at  once  agreed  to  th#  terms,  and  five 
minutes  later  Harry,  clad  in  the  sober  garb  of  a  decent 
tradesman,  mounted  the  cart.  The  horse  was  not  a  fast 
one,  and  the  roads  were  bad.  It  was  nigh  six  o'clock 
before  they  reached  London.  Paying  Fletcher  the  sum 
agreed  upon,  Harry  walked  rapidly  westward.  Crom- 
well was  abiding  in  a  house  in  Pall  Mall.  Upon  Harry 
arriving  there  he  was  asked  his  business. 

"The  general  is  ill,"  the  servant  said,  "and  can  see 
no  one." 

"I  must  see  him,"  Harry  urged.  "It  is  a  matter  of 
the  extremest  importance." 

"See  him  you  cannot,"  the  man  repeated,  "and  it 
were  waste  of  words  to  talk  further  on  the  matter. 
Dost  think  that,  even  were  he  well,  the  general,  with  all 
the  affairs  of  the  Commonwealth  on  his  shoulders,  has 
time  to  see  every  gossiping  citizen  who  would  have 
speech  with  him?" 


FR1ENDX,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  317 

Harry  slipped  a  gold  piece  into  the  man's  hand. 

"Ik  is  useless,"  the  man  said.  "The  general  is,  as  I 
truly  told  thee,  ill.'1 

Harry  stood  in  despair,  "Could  you  gain  me  speecn 
with  the  general's  wife?" 

"Ay,"  the  man  said.  "I  might  do  that.  What  name 
shall  I  say?" 

"She  would  not  know  my  name.  Merely  say  that  one 
•vishes  to  speak  to  her  on  a  matter  nearly  touching  the 
safety  of  the  generaL" 

"Hadsfc  thon  said  that  at  once,"  the  man  grumbled, 
"I  might  have  admitted  you  hefore.  There  are  many 
rumors  of  plots  on  the  part  of  the  malignants  against 
the  life  of  the  general.  I  will  take  your  message  to 
Madam  Cromwell,  and  she  can  deal  with  it  as  she  will." 

The  man  was  absent  for  a  few  minutes.  Then  he  re- 
turned with  an  officer. 

"Can  you  tell  me,"  the  latter  asked,  "what  you  have 
to  reveal?" 

"No,"  Harry  replied,  "I  must  speak  with  the  general 
himself." 

"Beware,"  the  officer  said  sternly,  "that  you  trifle 
not.  The  general  is  sick,  and  has  many  things  on  hia 
mind;  'twill  be  ill  for  you  if  you  disturb  him  without 
cause." 

"The  cause  is  sufficient,"  Harry  said.  "I  would  se 
him  in  person." 

Without  a  word  the  officer  turned  and  led  the  way  to  * 
room  upstairs,  where  Cromwell  was  sitting  at  a  table. 
His  wife  was  near  him.  A  Bible  lay  open  before  him 
Cromwell  looked  steadily  at  Harry. 

"I  hear  that  you  have  a  matter  of  importance  to  tell 
me,  young  man,  and  one  touching  my  safety.  I  know 
that  there  are  many  who  thirst  for  my  blood.  But  I  am 
in  the  hands  of  tha  Lord,  who  has  so  far  watched  over 


318  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

His  servant.     If  there  be  truth  in  what  you  have  to  tel 
you  will  be  rewarded." 

"I  seek  for  no  reward,"  Harry  said.  "I  have  gained 
knowledge  of  a  plot  against  your  life.  Do  you  wish  that 
I  should  speak  in  the  presence  of  this  officer?" 

"Assuredly,"  the  general  said. 

"Briefly,  then,  I  have  arrived  from  Hamburg  but  now 
fco  give  you  warning  of  a  matter  which  came  to  my  ears. 
I  overheard,  how  it  matters  not,  a  conversation  between 
two  rascals  who  gave  themselves  out  as  Boyalists,  but 
who  were  indeed  rather  escaped  criminals,  to  the  effect 
that  men  had  gone  over  thence  to  England  with  the  inten- 
tion of  killing  you.  The  plot  was  to  come  off  to-night. 
Whether  there  be  any  change  in  the  arrangements  or  no 
I  cannot  say,  but  the  matter  was,  as  they  said,  fixed  for 
to-night.  One  of  the  women  servants  has  been  bribed 
to  open  the  back  entrance  and  to  admit  them  there. 
More  than  this  I  know  not." 

"You  speak,  sir,  as  one  beyond  your  station,"  Crom- 
well said;  "and  methinks  I  know  both  your  face  and 
figure,  whieh  are  not  easily  forgotten  when  once  seen." 

"It  matters  not  who  I  am,"  Harry  replied,  "so  that 
the  news  I  bring  be  true.  I  am  no  friend  of  yours,  but  a 
servant  of  King  Charles.  Though  I  would  withstand 
you  to  the  death  in  the  field,  I  would  not  that  a  life  like 
yours  should  be  cut  short  by  assassination;  or  that  the 
royal  cause  should  be  sullied  by  such  a  deed,  the  dis- 
honor of  which,  though  planned  and  carried  out  by  a 
small  band  of  desperate  partisans,  would  yet,  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world,  fall  upon  all  who  followed  King  Charles.'5 

"You  are  bold,  sir,"  Cromwell  said.  "But  I  wonder 
not,  for  I  know  you  now.  We  have  met,  so  far  as  I 
know,  but  once  before.  That  was  after  Drogheda,  where 
you  defended  the  church,  and  where  I  spared  your  life 
at  the  intercession  of  my  chaplain.  1  heard  of  you 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  319 

afterward  as  having,  by  a  desperate  enterprise,  escaped, 
and  afterward  captured  a  ship  with  prisoners;  and  as 
having  inflicted  heavy  loss  and  damage  upon  the  soldiers 
of  Parliament.  You  fought  at  Dunbar  and  Worcester, 
and,  if  I  mistake  not,  incurred  the  enmity  of  the  Earl 
of  Argyll.'' 

"I  am  Sir  Harry  Furness,"  Harry  said  calmly;  "his 
majesty  having  been  pleased  to  bestow  upon  me  the 
honor  of  knighthood.  Nor  are  you  mistaken  touching 
the  other  matters,  since  you  yourself  agreed  at  the 
lonely  house  on  the  moor  to  hand  me  over  to  Colonel 
Campbell,  as  his  price  for  betraying  the  post  I  com- 
manded. That  matter,  as  you  may  remember,  turned 
out  otherwise  than  had  been  expected.  I  am  not 
ashamed  of  my  name,  nor  have  I  any  fear  of  its  being 
known  to  you.  I  have  come  over  to  do  you  service,  and 
fear  not  harm  at  your  hands  when  on  such  business. " 

"Why  then  did  you  not  tell  me  at  once?"  Cromwell 
asked. 

"Simply  because  I  seek  no  favor  at  your  hands.  1 
would  not  that  you  should  think  that  Harry  Furness 
sought  to  reconcile  himself  with  the  Commons,  by  giv- 
ing notice  of  a  plot  against  your  life.  I  am  intending 
to  start  for  Virginia  and  settle  there,  and  would  not 
stoop  to  sue  for  amnesty,  though  I  should  never  see 
Furness  Halt  or  England  again." 

Harry  spoke  in  a  tone  of  haughty  frankness,  which 
carried  conviction  with  it. 

"I  doubt  you  not,"  Cromwell  said.  "You  have  been 
&  bitter  foe  to  the  Commons,  Colonel  Furness,  but  it  is 
not  of  men  like  you  that  we  need  be  afraid.  You  meet 
us  fairly  in  the  field,  and  fight  us  loyally  and  honorably. 
It  is  the  tricksters,  the  double-dealers,  and  the  traitors, 
the  men  who  profess  to  be  on  our  side  but  who  burrow 
I.Q  Uie  dark  against  us,  who  trouble  our  peace.  In  this 


$20  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

matter  I  am  greatly  beholden  to  you.  Now  that  you 
have  given  us  warning  of  the  plot,  it  will  be  mot  if  i\\.~ 
tempted.  But  should  these  men's  hearts  fail  them,  or 
for  any  other  cause  the  attempt  be  laid  aside,  I  shall  be 
none  the  less  indebted  to  you.  I  trust,  Colonel  Furness, 
that  you  will  not  go  to  the  plantations.  England  needs 
honest  men  here.  There  is  a  great  work  yet  to  be  done 
before  happiness  and  quiet  are  restored;  and  we  need  all 
wise  and  good  men  in  the  counsels  of  the  state.  Be 
assured  that  you  are  free  to  return  and  dwell  with  the 
Cavalier,  your  father,  at  your  pleasure.  He  drew  aside 
froir  the  strife  when  he  saw  that  the  cause  he  fought 
for  was  hopeless,  and  none  have  interfered  with  him. 
Charles  will,  methinks,  fight  no  more  in  England.  His 
cause  is  lost,  and  wise  men  will  adapt  themselves  to  the 
circumstances.  Let  me  know  where  you  lodge  to-nighto 
You  will  hear  further  from  me  to-morrow/' 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  321 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

REST  AT   LAST. 

HARRY  slept  at  an  inn  in  Westminster,  and  the  next 
morning  on  going  down  to  his  breakfast,  he  found  peo- 
ple much  excited,  a  rumor  having  gone  about  that  an 
attack  had  been  made  upon  Cromwell's  house  during 
the  night,  and  that  several  had  been  killed,  but  no  harm 
el one  to  the  general.  An  hour  afterward  a  messenger 
brought  word  that  General  Cromwell  wished  to  see 
Oolonel  Furness.  After  his  breakfast  Harry  had  at 
once  gone  out  and  purchased  clothes  suitable  to  a  coun- 
try gentleman;  in  these  he  proceeded  to  the  general, 
and  was  at  once  shown  up  to  his  room. 

"Your  news  was  trustworthy,  Colonel  Furness,  and 
Oliver  Cromwell  owes  his  life  to  you.  Soon  after  mid- 
night one  of  the  serving  wenches  opened  the  back  door, 
and  eight  men  entered.  Had  no  watch  been  set,  they 
would  doubtless  have  reached  my  room  unobserved,  by 
the  staircase  which  leads  from  that  part  of  the  house. 
As  it  was,  I  had  a  guard  in  waiting,  and  when  the  men 
were  fairly  inside  they  fell  upon  them.  The  soldiers 
v;ere  too  quick  with  them,  being  hot  at  the  plot  which  was 
intended  against  my  life,  and  all  were  killed,  together 
with  the  wench  who  admitted  them,  who  was  stabbed  by 
one  of  the  men  at  the  first  alarm,  thinking  doubtless  she 
had  betrayed  them.  I  hear  that  none  of  them  have  the 
air  of  gentlemen,  but  are  clearly  broken  men  and  vaga- 
bonds. The  haste  of  my  soldiers  has  prevented  me  from 
getting  any  clew  as  to  those  who  set  them  on,  but  I  am 


322  JRIEND&,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

sure  that  no  English  gentleman,  even  although  devoted 
to  the  cause  of  Charles  Stuart,  would  so  plot  against  my 
life.  And  now,  sir,  I  thank  you  heartily  for  the  great} 
service  you  have  rendered  me.  My  life  is,  I  think, 
precious  to  England,  where  I  hope  to  do  some  good 
work  before  I  die.  I  say  only  in  return  that  henceforth 
you  may  come  and  go  as  you  list;  and  I  hope  yet  that 
you  will  sit  hy  me  in  Parliament,  and  aid  me  to  set 
things  in  England  in  order.  Do  not  take  this,  sir,  as  in 
any  way  a  recompense  for  saving  my  life.  The  war  is 
over;  a  few  of  those  who  had  troubled,  and  would  always 
trouble  the  peace  of  England,  have  been  executed. 
Against  the  rest  we  bear  no  malice.  They  are  free  to 
return  to  their  homes  and  occupations  as  they  list,  and 
so  long  as  they  obey  the  laws,  and  abstain  from  fresh 
troubles  and  plots,  none  will  molest  them.  But,  sir,  in 
order  that  no  molestation  or  vexation  may  occur  to  you, 
here  is  a  free  pass,  signed  by  General  Fairfax  and  two  of 
the  commissioners,  saying  that  you  are  at  liberty  to  go 
or  come  and  to  stay  where  you  please,  without  hindrance 
or  molestation  from  any/' 

Harry  took  the  document,  bowed,  and  withdrew. 

"It  is  a  thousand  pities,"  he  said  to  himself,  "that  his 
majesty  the  king  has  not  somewhat  of  this  man's  quality. 
This  is  a  strong  man,  and  a  true.  He  may  have  his 
faults — ay,  he  has  them — he  is  ambitions,  he  is  far  more 
fanatical  for  his  religion  than  was  Charles  I.  for  his. 
He  is  far  more  absolute,  far  more  domineering  than  was 
King  Charles.  Were  he  made  king  to-morrow,  as  I  hear 
he  is  like  enough  to  be,  he  would  trample  upon  the  Par- 
liament and  despise  its  will  infinitely  more  than  any 
English  king  would  ever  have  dared  to  do.  But  for  all 
that  he  is  a  great  man,  honest,  sincere,  and,  above  all, 
to  be  trusted.  Who  can  say  that  for  the  Stuarts?" 

Upon  the  day  of  his  arrival  Harry  had  written  to 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  323 

Jacob  telling  him  the  cause  of  his  sudden  departure,  und 
promising  to  return  by  the  first  ship.  He  hesitated  now 
whether  he  should  sail  at  once,  or  go  down  to  see  his 
father,  but  he  determined  that  it  would  be  best,  at  any 
rate  in  the  first  place,  to  return  to  Hamburg  and  look 
after  his  companion,  and  then  to  come  over  to  see  his 
father,  before  carrying  out  his  intention  of  proceeding 
to  Virginia.  A  ship  would,  he  found,  be  sailing  in  three 
days,  and  he  wrote  to  his  father  telling  him  that  he  had 
been  iu  London  for  a  day  or  two,  but  was  forced  by  the 
illness  of  Jacob  to  return  at  once;  but  that  upon  his 
friend's  recovery  he  would  come  back  to  Abingdon  for 
a  short  time  before  leaving.  He  arrived  at  Hamburg 
without  adventure.  On  reaching  the  hotel  he  was  in- 
formed that  Jacob  was  delirious,  and  that  his  life  was 
despaired  of.  The  rascally  boatman  could  not  have 
given  the  message  with  which  he  had  been  charged, 
since  Jacob,  upon  the  day  after  he  was  first  missed,  had 
risen  from  his  bed,  and  insisted  on  going  in  search  of 
him.  He  had,  after  many  inquiries,  learned  that  one 
answering  to  his  description  had  taken  part  in  a  fray  in 
a  drinking-house — interfering  to  protect  a  Bohemian 
singer  from  insult.  Beyond  this  nothing  could  be  heard 
of  him.  He  Aad  not  been  seen  in  the  fray  in  the  street, 
when  several  of  the  rioters  had  been  captured  and  car- 
ried off  by  the  watch,  and  some  supposed  that  he  might 
have  left  the  place,  at  the  back,  in  which  case  it  was 
feared  that  he  might  have  been  fallen  upon  and  assas- 
sinated by  the  ruffians  in  the  low  quarter  lying  behind 
the  drinking  hall.  Jacob  had  worked  himself  into  a 
state  of  high  fever  by  his  anxiety,  and  upon  returning  to 
the  hotel  had  become  so  violent  that  they  were  forced 
to  restrain  him.  He  had  been  bled  and  blistered,  but 
had  remained  for  a  fortnight  in  a  state  of  violent  fevei 
and  delirium.  This  had  now  somewhat  abated,  but  he> 


324  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

was  in  such  a  weak  state  that  the  doctors  feared  the 
worst. 

The  return  of  Harry  did  more  for  him  than  all  the 
doctors  of  Hamburg.  He  seemed  at  once  to  recognize 
his  voice,  and  the  pressure  of  his  hand  soothed  and 
calmed  him.  He  presently  fell  into  a  deep  sleep,  in 
which  he  lay  for  twelve  hours,  and  on  opening  his  eyes 
at  once  recognized  his  friend.  His  recovery  now  was 
rapid,  and  in  a  week  he  was  able  to  sit  up. 

One  morning  the  servant  told  Harry  that  a  gentleman 
wished  to  speak  to  him,  and  a  moment  after  his  father 
entered.  With  a  cry  of  delight  father  and  son  flew  into 
each  other's  arms.  It  was  four  years  since  they  had 
met,  and  both  were  altered  much.  The  colonel  had 
aged  greatly,  while  Harry  had  grown  into  a  broad  and 
powerful  man. 

"My  dear  father,  this  is  an  unexpected  pleasure  in- 
deed," Harry  said,  when  the  first  burst  of  delight  was 
over.  "Did  you  not  get  my  letter  from  London,  saying 
that  I  hoped  shortly  to  be  with  you?" 

"From  London!"  the  colonel  exclaimed,  astonished. 
"No,  indeed;  I  have  received  no  letter  save  that  which 
your  boy  brought  me.  We  started  a  week  later  for 
Southampton,  where  we  were  detained  nigh  ten  days  for 
a  ship." 

"And  who  is  the  we,  father?"  Harry  asked  anxiously. 

"Ah,"  the  old  man  said,  "now  you  are  in  a  hurry  to 
know.  Who  should  it  be  but  Master  Rippinghall  and  * 
i;ertain  young  lady?" 

"Oh,  father,  has  Lucy  really  come?" 

"Assuredly  she  has,"  Colonel  Furness  said,  "and  is 
now  waiting  in  a  private  room  below  with  her  brother, 
for  Sir  Harry.  I  have  not  congratulated  you  yet,  my 
boy,  on  your  i>ew  dignity." 

"And  you  really  consent  to  my  marriage,  sir?" 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  325 

SSI  don't  see  that  I  could  help  it,"  the  colonel  said, 
*ssince  you  had  set  your  mind  on  it,  especially  as  when  I 
came  to  inquire  I  found  the  young  lady  was  willing  to 
go  to  Virginia.  But  we  must  talk  of  that  anon.  Yes, 
Harry,  you  have  my  full  consent.  The  young  lady  is 
not  quite  of  the  rank  of  life  I  should  have  chosen  for 
you;  but  ranks  and  classes  are  all  topsy-turvy  in  Eng- 
land at  present,  and  when  we  are  ruled  over  by  a  brewer,, 
it  would  be  nice  indeed  to  refuse  to  take  a  wool-stapler's 
sister  for  wife.  But  seriously,  Harry,  I  am  well  con- 
tented. I  knew  little  of  the  young  lady  except  by  com- 
mon report,  which  spoke  of  her  as  the  sweetest  and 
kindest  damsel  in  Abingdon.  But  now  I  have  seen  her, 
I  wonder  not  at  your  choice.  During  the  fortnight  we 
have  been  together  I  have  watched  her  closely,  and  I 
find  in  her  a  rare  combination  of  gentleness  and  firmness. 
You  have  won  her  heart,  Harry,  though  how  she  can 
have  kept  thee  in  mind  all  this  time  is  more  than  I  can 
tell.  Her  brother  tells  me  that  he  placed  no  pressure 
upon  her  either  for  or  against,  though  he  desired  much 
for  your  sake,  and  from  the  love  he  bore  you,  that  she 
should  accept  of  your  suit.  Now  you  had  better  go 
down,  and  learn  from  her  own  lips  how  it  stands  with 
her." 

It  need  not  to  describe  the  meeting  between  Harry 
and  his  old  friends.  Herbert  was  warm  and  cordial  as 
of  old.  Lucy  was  but  little  changed  since  Harry  had 
seen  her  four  years  before,  save  that  she  was  more  fair 
and  womanly. 

"Your  letter  gave  me,"  Herbert  said,  "a  mixed  feel- 
ing of  pleasure  and  pain.  I  knew  that  my  little  sister 
has  always  looked  upon  you  as  a  hero  of  romance,  and 
though  I  knew  not  that  as  a  woman  her  heart  still  turned 
to  you,  yet  she  refused  so  sharply  and  shrewishly  all  the 
suitors  who  came  to  her,  that  I  suspected  tnat  her 


326  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

thoughts  of  yon  were  more  than  a  mere  child's  fancy. 
When  your  letter  came  I  laid  no  pressure  upon  her,  just 
as  in  other  cases  I  have  held  aloof,  and  indeed  have 
gained  some  ill-will  at  the  hands  of  old  friends  because 
I  would  not,  as  her  brother,  and  the  head  of  the  family, 
lay  stress  upon  her.  I  read  your  letter  to  her,  and  she 
at  first  said  she  was  ready  to  obey  my  wishes  in  the  mat- 
ter, and  to  go  with  you  to  Virginia  if  I  bade  her.  I  said 
that  in  such  a  matter  it  was  her  will  and  not  mine  which 
I  wished  to  consult,  and  thus  pressed  into  a  corner,  she 
owned  that  she  would  gladly  go  with  you." 

"Harry,"  the  girl  said,  "for  my  tongue  is  not  as  yet 
used  to  your  new  title,  under  other  circumstances  I 
should  have  needed  to  be  wooed  and  won  like  other  girls. 
But  seeing  how  strangely  you  are  placed,  and  that  you 
were  about  to  start  across  the  sea,  to  be  absent  perhaps 
for  many  years,  I  felt  that  it  would  not  be  worthy  either 
of  me  or  you  were  I  to  affect  a  maiden  coyness  and  so  to 
throw  difficulties  in  your  way.  I  feel  the  honor  of  the 
offer  you  have  made  me.  That  you  should  for  so  many 
years  have  been  absent  and  seen  the  grand  ladies  of  the 
court,  and  have  yet  thought  of  your  little  playfellow, 
shows  that  your  heart  is  as  true  and  good  as  I  of  old 
thought  it  to  be,  and  I  need  feel  no  shame  in  acknowl- 
edging that  I  have  ever  thought  of  you  with  affection." 

For  the  next  few  days  there  was  much  argument  over 
the  project  of  going  to  Virginia.  Herbert,  when  he 
heard  what  had  happened  in  London,  joined  his  en- 
treaties to  those  of  Sir  Henry,  asserting  that  he  had  only 
consented  to  Lucy's  going  to  so  outlandish  a  place  in 
the  belief  that  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  that  he  did 
not  think  it  fr.ir  for  Harry  to  take  her  to  such  a  life 
when  he  could  stay  comfortably  at  home.  Sir  Henry 
did  not  say  much,  but  Harry  could  see  how  ardently  he 
longed  for  him  to  remain.  As  for  Lucy,  she  stood 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

neutral,  saying  that  assuredly  she  did  not  wish  to  go  to 
Virginia,  but  that,  upon  the  other  hand,  she  should  feel 
that  her  consent  had  been  obtained  under  false  pre- 
tenses, and  that  she  had  been  defrauded  of  the  enjoy- 
ment of  a  proper  and  regular  courtship,  did  it  prove 
that  Harry  might  have  come  home  and  sought  her  hand 
in  regular  form.  Harry's  reluctance  to  remain  arose 
principally  from  the  fact  that  he  had  gained  permission 
to  do  so  by  an  act  of  personal  service  which  he  had  done 
the  king's  great  enemy.  Had  he  been  included  in  a 
general  amnesty  he  would  gladly  have  accepted  it. 
However,  his  resolution  gave  way  under  the  arguments 
of  Herbert,  who  urged  upon  him  that  he  had  no  right, 
on  a  mere  point  of  punctilio,  to  leave  his  father  in  his 
old  age,  and  to  take  Lucy  from  her  country  and  friends 
to  a  life  of  hardship  in  the  plantations  of  Virginia.  At 
last  he  yielded.  Then  a  difficulty  arose  with  Lucy,  who 
would  fain  have  returned  to  Abingdon  with  her  brother, 
and  urged  she  should  there  have  time  given  her  to  be 
married  in  regular  fashion.  This  Harry  would  by  no 
means  consent  to,  and  as  both  Sir  Henry  and  Herbert 
saw  no  occasion  for  the  delay,  they  were  married  a  fort- 
night later  at  the  Protestant  church  at  Hamburg,  Jacob, 
who  was  by  this  time  perfectly  restored  to  health,  acting 
as  his  best  man. 

One  of  the  first  steps  which  Harry  took  after  his  re- 
turn to  Hamburg  was  to  inquire  about  the  gypsy  maid 
who  had  done  him  such  service.  She  was  still  singing 
at  the  drinking-house.  Harry  went  down  there  in  the 
daytime  and  gave  one  of  the  drawers  a  crown  to  tell  her 
quietly  that  the  Englishman  she  knew  would  fain  see 
her,  and  would  wait  for  her  at  a  spot  he  named  on  the 
walk  by  the  river  bank,  between  ten  and  twelve  the  next 
day.  Here,  accompanied  by  Lucy,  who,  having  heard  of 
the  service  which  the  girl  had  rendered  him,  fully  en- 


328  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

tered  into  his  anxiety  to  befriend  her,  he  awaited  hei 
the  next  day.  She  came  punctual  to  the  appointment, 
but  in  great  faar  that  the  old  gypsy  would  discover  her 
absence.  Upon  Harry  telling  her  that  Lucy,  who  was 
about  to  become  his  wife,  would  willingly  take  her  to 
England  and  receive  her  as  a  companion  until  such  time 
as  some  opportunity  for  furthering  her  way  in  life  might 
appear,  Zita  accepted  the  proposal  with  tears  of  joy. 
She  abhorred  the  life  she  was  forced  to  lead,  and  it  was 
only  after  many  beatings  and  much  ill-usage  from  the 
gypsies  that  she  consented  to  it,  and  it  made  her  life  the 
harder,  inasmuch  as  she  knew  that  she  had  not  been 
born  to  such  a  fate,  but  had  been  stolen  as  a  child. 

"What  could  have  been  their  motive  in  carrying  you 
away?"  Lucy  asked. 

"I  believe,"  the  girl  said,  "from  what  they  have  told 
me,  that  I  was  taken  in  revenge.  My  father  had  charged 
one  of  the  gypsies  with  theft,  and  the  man  having  been 
hung,  the  others,  to  avenge  themselves,  carried  me  off." 

"But  why  did  you  not,  when  you  grew  old  enough, 
tell  your  story  to  the  magistrates,  and  appeal  to  them 
for  assistance?" 

"Alas!"  the  girl  said,  "what  proofs  have  I  for  my  tale? 
Moreover,  even  were  I  believed,  and  taken  from  the 
gypsies,  what  was  there  for  me  to  do,  save  to  beg  in  the 
streets  for  charity?" 

They  now  arranged  with  her  the  manner  of  her  flight, 
She  was  afraid  to  meet  them  again  lest  her  footsteps 
should  be  traced,  for  she  was  sure  that  the  gypsies  would 
carry  her  away  to  some  other  town  if  they  had  the  least 
suspicion  that  she  had  made  friends  with  any  capable  of 
taking  her  part,  as  the  whole  party  lived  in  idleness 
upon  the  money  she  gained  by  singing.  It  was  arranged, 
therefore,  that  the  night  before  they  were  to  depart 
Harry  should  appear  in  the  singing  hall,  and  should  take 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED.  339 

his  place  near  the  door.  She  should  let  him  know  that 
sho  perceived  him  by  passing  her  hand  twice  across  her 
forehead.  When  the  performance  was  over  she  should, 
instead  of  leaving  as  usual  by  the  back  way,  slip  down 
the  steps,  and  mingle  with  those  leaving  the  hall.  Out- 
side the  door  she  would  find  Harry,  who  would  take  her 
to  the  hotel,  where  dresses  would  be  provided  for  her. 
There  she  should  stop  the  night,  and  go  on  board  ship 
with  them  in  the  morning. 

These  arrangements  were  all  carried  out,  and  four 
days  after  the  wedding  of  Harry  and  Lucy  the  party, 
with  Zita,  sailed  for  England.  Had  the  tenantry  on  the 
Fnrness  estate  known  of  the  home-coming  of  their  young 
master  and  his  bride,  they  would  have  given  him  a  grand 
reception;  but  Harry  and  his  father  both  agreed  that 
this  had  better  not  be,  for  that  it  was  as  well  to  call  no 
public  attention  to  his  return,  even  though  he  had  re- 
ceived Cromweirs  permission. 

After  all  his  adventures,  Sir  Harry  Furness  dwelt 
quietly  and  happily  with  his  father.  In  the  following 
years  the  English  fleet  fought  many  hard  battles  with  the 
Dutch,  and  the  Parliament,  in  order  to  obtain  money, 
confiscated  the  property  of  most  of  those  Cavaliers  who 
had  now  returned  under  the  Act  of  Amnesty.  Steps 
were  taken  against  Sir  Henry  Furness,  but  as  he  had 
taken  no  part  in  the  troubles  after  the  close  of  the  first 
civil  war,  Cromwell,  on  receiving  an  application  from 
him,  peremptorily  quashed  the  proceedings. 

On  April  20,  1653,  Cromwell  went  down  to  the  House 
with  a  body  of  troops,  and  expelled  the  Parliament, 
who  were  in  the  act  of  passing  a  bill  for  their  own 
dissolution,  and  a  new  representation.  He  thus  proved 
himself  as  tyrannous  and  despotic  as  any  sovereign  could 
have  been.  A  new  Parliament  was  summoned,  but  in- 
stead of  its  members  being  elected  in  accordance  with 


330  FRIEND8,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

the  customs  of  England,  they  were  selected  and  nomi- 
nated by  Cromwell  himself.  The  history  of  England 
contains  no  instance  of  such  a  defiance  of  the  constitu- 
tional rights  of  the  people.  But  although  he  had 
grasped  power  arbitrarily  and  by  force,  Cromwell  used 
it  well  and  wisely,  and  many  wise  laws  and  great  social 
reforms  were  passed  by  the  Parliament  under  his  orders. 
Still  the  fanatical  party  were  in  the  majority  in  this 
body,  and  as  Cromwell  saw  that  these  persons  would 
push  matters  further  than  he  wished,  he  made  an 
arrangement  with  the  minority,  who  resigned  their  seats, 
thereby  leaving  an  insufficient  number  in  the  House  to 
transact  business.  Cromwell  accepted  their  resigna- 
tion, and  the  Parliament  then  ceased  to  exist. 

Four  days  later,  on  the  16th  of  December,  Cromwell 
assumed  the  state  and  title  of  Lord  Protector  of  the 
Commonwealth.  For  the  next  five  years  he  governed 
England  wisely  and  well.  The  Parliament  was  assem- 
bled, but  as  its  proceedings  were  not  in  accordance  with 
his  wishes,  he  dissolved  it.  and  for  the  most  part  gov- 
erned England  by  his  own  absolute  will.  That  it  was  a 
strong  will  and  a  wise  cannot  be  questioned,  but  that  a 
rising,  which  originally  began  because  the  king  would 
not  yield  to  the  absolute  will  of  Parliament,  should  have 
ended  in  a  despotism,  in  which  the  chief  of  the  king's 
opponents  should  have  ruled  altogether  without  Parlia- 
ments, is  strange  indeed.  It  is  singular  to  find  that 
those  who  make  most  talk  about  the  liberties  of  English- 
men should  regard  as  their  hero  and  champion  the  man 
who  trod  all  the  constitutional  rights  of  Englishmen 
under  foot.  But  if  a  despot,  Cromwell  was  a  wise  and 
firm  one,  and  his  rule  was  greatly  for  the  good  of  the 
country.  Above  all,  he  brought  the  name  of  England 
into  the  highest  honor  abroad,  and  made  it  respected 
throughout  Europe.  Would  that  among  all  Englishmen 


FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED  331 

of  the  present  day  there  existed  the  same  feeling  of 
patriotism,  the  same  desire  for  the  honor  and  credit  of 
their  couuiry,  as  dwelt  in  the  breast  of  Oliver  Cromwell. 

On  Auguii.  30,  1658,  Cromwell  died,  and  his  son 
Richard  succeeded  him.  The  Parliament  and  the  army 
soon  fell  out,  and  the  army,  coming  down  in  force, 
dissolved  Parliament,  and  Richard  Cromwell  ceased  at 
once  to  have  any  power.  The  army  called  together 
forty-two  of  the  old  members  of  the  Long  Parliament, 
of  extreme  republican  views,  but  these  had  no  sooner  met 
than  they  broke  into  divisions,  and  England  was  wholly 
without  a  government.  So  matters  went  on  for  some 
time,  until  General  Monk,  with  the  army  of  the  north, 
<]ame  up  to  London.  He  had  for  weeks  been  in  com- 
munication with  the  king.  For  a  time  he  was  uncertain 
of  the  course  he  should  take,  but  after  awhile  he  found 
that  the  feeling  of  London  was  wholly  averse  to  the  Par- 
liament, and  so  resolved  to  take  the  lead  in  a  restoration. 
A  Parliament  was  summoned,  and  upon  the  day  after  its 
assembling  Monk  presented  to  them  a  document  from 
King  Charles,  promising  to  observe  the  constitution, 
granting  full  liberty  of  conscience,  and  an  amnesty  for 
past  offenses.  Parliament  at  once  declared  in  favor  of 
the  ancient  laws  of  the  kingdom,  the  government  to  be 
by  King,  Lords  and  Commons;  and  on  May  8,  1660, 
Charles  II.  was  proclaimed  king,  and  on  the  30th  entered 
London  in  triumph. 

Sir  Harry  Furness  sat  in  the  Parliament  which  recalled 
the  king,  and  in  many  subsequent  ones.  His  father 
came  to  London  to  see  the  royal  entry,  and  both  were 
most  kindly  received  by  the  king,  who  expressed  a  warm 
hope  that  he  should  often  see  them  at  court.  This, 
however,  was  not  to  be.  The  court  of  King  Charles 
offered  no  attractions  to  pure-minded  and  honorable 
men.  Sir  Henry  came  no  more  to  London,  but  lived 


332  FRIENDS,  THOUGH  DIVIDED. 

quietly  and  happily  to  the  end  of  a  long  life  at  Furness 
Hall,  rejoicing  much  over  the  happiness  of  his  son,  and 
in  the  society  of  his  daughter-in-law  and  her  children. 
Herbert  Rippinghall  sat  in  Parliament  for  Abingdon. 
Except  when  obliged  by  his  duties  as  a  member  to  be  in 
London,  Sir  Harry  Furness  lived  quietly  at  Furness 
Hall,  taking  much  interest  in  country  matters.  Twenty- 
eight  years  later  James  II.  fled  from  England,  and  Will- 
iam of  Orange  mounted  the  throne.  At  this  time  Sir 
Harry  Furness  was  sixty-one,  and  he  lived  many  years 
to  see  the  freedom  and  rights  for  which  Englishmen  had 
so  hotly  struggled  and  fought  now  enjoyed  by  them  in 
all  their  fullness. 

A  few  words  as  to  the  other  personages  of  this  story. 
Jacob,  three  years  after  Harry's  return  to  England, 
married  the  Spanish  girl  Zita,  and  settled  down  in  a 
pretty  house  called  the  Dower  House,  on  the  Furness 
property,  which,  together  with  a  large  farm  attached  to 
it,  Sir  Henry  Furness  settled  upon  him,  as  a  token  of 
his  affection  and  gratitude  to  him  for  the  faithful  serv- 
ices he  had  rendered  to  his  son. 

William  Long  was  made  bailiff  of  the  estate,  and  Mike 
remained  the  attached  and  faithful  body-servant  of  Sir 
Harry,  until  he,  ten  years  later,  married  the  daughter 
and  heiress  of  a  tradesman  in  Abingdon,  and  became  a 
leading  citizen  of  that  town. 

Although  Harry  was  not  of  a  revengeful  disposition, 
he  rejoiced  exceedingly  when  he  heard,  two  or  three 
months  after  the  king's  restoration,  of  the  execution  of 
that  doubly-dyed  traitor,  the  Earl  of  Argyll. 


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Adventa  re  and  Peril 


y  Pirates.    A  Story 


Bonme  Prince  Charlie.    A  Tale  of 
Fontenoy  and  Culloden. 

Knipht,  The.    A  Tale  ef  the 


Bravest  of  the  Brave,  The.    With 

Peterborough  in  Spain. 
By  England's  Aid ;  or.  The  Freeing 

of  the  Netherlands  (1585-1604). 
By  Pike  and  Dyke.     A  Tale  of  the 

Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic. 
By  Right  of  Conquest ;  or  With  Cor- 

tez  in  Mexico. 
By  Sheer  Pluck.     A  Tale  of  the 

Ashauti  War. 
Captain  Bayley's  Heir.     A  Tale  of 

the  Gold  Fields  of  California. 
Cat  of  Bubastes,  The.     A  Story  of 

Ancient  Egypt. 
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Marlborouph  'a  Wan. 
Dragon  and  the  Karen ;  or,  The  Days 

ofKing  Alfred. 
Facing  Death.   A  Tale  of  the  Coal 


Final  Reckoning,  A.    A  Tale  of  Bush 

Life  in  Australia. 
Fer  Name  and  Fame;  or,  Through 


For     eTempte.   A  Tale  of  the  Fall 

of  Jerusalem. 
Friends,  Though  Dhrided.     A  Tale 

of  the  Civil  War  in  England. 
Golden  Canon,  The. 
InFreedom's  Cause.     A  Story  of 

Wallace  and  Bruce. 
In  theReign  of  Terror.  Adventures 

of  a  Westminster  Boy. 
In  Times  of  PeriL    A  Tale  ef  India. 
Jack  Archer.  A  Tale  of  the  Crimea. 


Lion  of  St.  Mark,  Tha     A  Stery  ef 

Venicein  the  Fourteenth  Century. 
Lion  of  the  North.  The,    A  Tale  of 

GustavusAdolphuB  aw'  Wars  ef 

Religion. 
Lost  Heir,  Tee. 
Maori  and  Settler.   A  Story  of  the 

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One  of  the  28th.    A  Tale  of  Water- 

loo. 
Orange  and  Green.    A  Tale  of  the 

Boyne  and  Limerick. 
Out  on  the  Pampas.  A  Tale  ef  South 

America. 
St.  George  for  England.    A  Tale  ef 

Cressy  and  Poitiers. 


True  to  the  Old  Flag.    A  Tale  of  the 

American  War  of  Independence. 
Under  Drake's  Flag.    A  Tale  of  the 

Spanish  Main. 
With  Olive  in  India;  or,  The  Begin- 

nings of  an  Empire. 
WitlTLee  in  Virginia.    A  itory  of 

the  American  Civil  War. 
With  Wolfe  i  n  Canada  ;  or,  The  Win- 

ning of  a  Continent. 
Young  Buglers,  The.    A  Tale  of  the 

PemuiBufikrWar. 
Young  Carthaginian,  The.  A  Story 

of  the  TiHMM  of  Hannibal. 
Young  Colonists,  The.     A  Story  of 

Life  and  War  to  South  Africa. 
Young  Frane-Tirenrs,  The.    A  Tale 

of  tie  Franoo-rYHBrian  War. 
Young  Midshipman,  The.    A  Tale  of 

the  Siege  of  Alexandria. 


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